In spirit of ‘Discourse over Division,” new award honours the legacy of the late Abdalla Barqawi, OBA Board member and equality champion
TORONTO, ON —As part of the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) well-established commitment and constructive efforts to combat the rising tide of polarization, the OBA has established the OBA Abdalla Barqawi Bridge Builder Award in honour of the highly regarded OBA Board Member and Equality Committee Chair who passed away in June 2025.
Barqawi, a lawyer at Conway Baxter Wilson LLP, was an advocate for equality and inclusion, admired throughout the legal community for his empathetic and insightful approach to building understanding and inclusion. Instrumental in the development of the OBA’s Peer Support Network for Lawyers Living with Disabilities, Barqawi, along with his colleague Mohammed Elshafie, received the OBA President’s Award in 2024 for leadership in creating spaces where all lawyers could thrive.
“Abdalla’s approach to even the most difficult conversations helped to combat polarization and focus people on their common humanity,” said OBA Immediate Past-President Kathryn Manning, whose Discourse over Division presidential mandate gave rise to the award. “With his compassion, intelligence, kindness and respect, he has made an extraordinary impact. With this award, we hope to honour those whose work is guided by that same principle that what unites us is stronger than what divides us.”
The OBA Abdalla Barawi Bridge Builder Award will be awarded to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to reducing polarization in the profession or in broader society. The recipient of this inaugural award will have developed or implemented an initiative, strategy, tool, communication campaign, policy or program that created space for, encouraged respectful engagement in, or improved the civility of conversations on divisive issues through enhanced understanding of opposing positions. The chosen winner will have bridged divides in a way that was respectful to both sides – with an activity that stands out for its creativity, courage, effectiveness and lasting impact.
This meaningful award is one of several initiatives the OBA has deployed to help the profession engage respectfully, rather than become entrenched irreparably, including:
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- Discourse Covenant – A set of protocols, created in consultation with leaders in the bar, that we agree to employ when divisive issues emerge – founded in understanding that opinions vary, but the respect and civility with which we discuss them should not.
- Professional Development and Tools – Programs and resources that provide guidance, advice and strategies on how to have difficult conversations in firms and departments, including an expert-led session on Responding to Polarization and Overcoming Division and a new guide Constructive Dialogue on Divisive Issues: A Resource for Lawyers.
- Expertly Facilitated Idea-Exchange – Series like our Hard Conversations and Diversity Dialogues, our Cultural Celebrations, and our Unite and Support Network, continue to provide the legal community with safe spaces to share and listen, gain understating and support, and engage on sensitive topics.
“Under Past-President Kathryn Manning’s leadership, the Discourse over Division mandate served as a powerful call to action that rallied Ontario lawyers to lead the way in tackling complex, potentially polarizing topics respectfully and productively,” said OBA President Katy Commisso. “With this new award, we not only carry forward Abdalla’s legacy of civility and integrity, but signal our ongoing commitment to providing lawyers with the tools, guidance and examples necessary to engage in conversation that solves the issues of our time.”
The deadline for nominations for the OBA Abdalla Barqawi Bridge Builder Award – and all our Association Awards – is January 30, 2026. Find eligibility, criteria and nomination details here.
If you’re interested in joining us on May 13, 2026 for the OBA Awards Gala, where we will present the inaugural OBA Abdalla Barqawi Bridge Builder Award alongside other prestigious awards recognizing leadership in the bar and broader justice community, please email esinkins@oba.org.
About the Ontario Bar Association
Established in 1907, the OBA is the largest voluntary legal association in Ontario, representing over 17,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students. A leader in legal innovation, the OBA provides continuing professional development, and advocates for lawyers, protection of the rule of law and justice sector improvements.
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For more information: Emily Sinkins
esinkins@oba.org