Did you know
Each year, thousands of children are wrongfully removed or retained across international borders by a parent in violation of custody rights, resulting in prolonged separation and psychological harm.
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Families in Canada face significant systemic barriers that affect prevention and hinder reunification outcomes in international parental child abduction cases.
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Together, we can change this.
Why We Exist
Lived experience provides perspective that observation alone cannot.
Shine a Lite was founded following lived experience navigating international parental child abduction, which revealed systemic barriers that perpetuate the challenges faced by left-behind parents.
Through firsthand experience and practical insight, Shine a Lite provides a real-world perspective on how these cases unfold in practice. This understanding is continuously strengthened through research, knowledge sharing, and community engagement.
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Founded by Layan Bishtawi, who successfully reunited with her children after navigating a complex international parental child abduction case and subsequently pursued a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) to deepen her understanding of legal systems.
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This combined lived and legal lens supports improved awareness, identification of barriers, and more effective responses across families, professionals, and institutions.
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