World News – CA – A daily battle

Ali Nestor is living proof that it is possible to stumble, but also to get up beautifully afterwards The journey of this veteran has always been inspiring for street youth, but also for the rest of the population

His book Moi, Ali Nestor – Petit prince de la rue, which will be launched on Wednesday, allows readers to learn about the progress of this veteran who was once a member in good standing of a street gang

« I started writing the book in 2003, » explains Ali Nestor in a generous interview with Le Journal de Montréal. Originally, it was not supposed to be a book, but a manuscript or a journal for youth centers and schools

« I went on a trip and thought I would write this in two weeks It didn’t happen. Then, after being on a radio show for the past few months, an editor asked me to write a book The only chose that I asked, it is that I did not want that one distorts my remarks ”

So it took him 17 years to complete the book on his journey through street gangs and his redemption

« I’m glad I didn’t finish it in 2003 You don’t think the same way at 40 as at 30 Your perception and your life experience are not the same »

Nestor’s book, whose preface is signed by Justin Trudeau, Denis Coderre and David Heurtel, is the logical continuation of the work accomplished by his organization “Ali and the Princesses of the Street” over the past 19 years

It was not always easy for Nestor to find the necessary support for him to bring his departure project to fruition

The Québécois of Haitian origin never doubted his vision even when he was in his small gymnasium in Saint-Léonard, in the east of Montreal Today, he has a center where combat sports and education come together under one roof His dream has come true

« I fought to have my program recognized for its effectiveness, » says Nestor. We knocked on all doors, but we weren’t getting help

« Many people took a dim view of helping young people through combat sports. There was a lot of prejudice against street youth

« If I hadn’t persevered, we wouldn’t have the same media impact today People have a better understanding of the situation of young people in difficulty »

« My greatest achievement is being able to come here [to Ali and the Princesses of the Street] every day and to be able to see the evolution of young people and give them the possibility of having a better future. « 

Nestor’s organization welcomes around 300 young people a year The former boxer does not know his success rate However, his pay is not only monetary

« Not long ago, there is a young man who came back 15 years after his stay with us, » he explains At first, I did not recognize him He now has four children and he does a job he loves

« It allowed me to confirm that I am not doing all this for nothing He noted that his stay with us was a highlight in his life It is priceless »

« I know young people who have died by suicide Every time, it gave me a stab When these sad events happened, I questioned myself about what I was doing and about my mission with the young people « 

Are the youth of today different from those they saw at the turn of the 2000s?

« It’s the same dynamic Drugs and guns are much more accessible You can buy them around the corner quite easily

« I have a good enough relationship with my young people to know certain things and I will walk in certain places. We are there to give support and not to piss off anyone »

In his book, we discover that Nestor did not open up easily with youth center workers He was an oyster until the day he met Michel Jetté who later became his mentor in his mission with young people

« The bond of trust is sometimes difficult to find With Michel, I did not feel any insistence or authority on his part It is a method that I have kept Young people need to feel that ‘they have an ear that can listen to them without judging them ”

Nestor is no different from other boxers or fighters. The flame for fighting is always very present inside him

« You can’t make it disappear, he emphasizes. On the other hand, we can take it elsewhere My mission with Ali and the princesses allowed me to make a smooth transition between the end of my career and my future as a citizen

« Now, my fight, I do it with the young people on a daily basis I am only a tool for them When they get by, it’s because they used the right tools to do it »

With his organization, Ali Nestor has been able to make a difference in society for nearly 20 years. We can think that it will be the same with his book

« Meeting Dan was for me like getting to know myself Our first contact was a look, a deep observation, and the second was in my ring in combat »

« Discrimination is certainly less visible, but it is still so present, and, in my opinion, that is what makes it dangerous »

« There is no question of losing myself in my wounds and living in regret. In life, it is not because we come from far that we cannot go far »

« My mother is my kindling candle Her words make me aware of the pain of living I feel, an evil that makes me run after my death »

« With regard to systemic discrimination, in my experience, Quebec is very far from having evolved »

It is with these words that Ali Nestor presents one of the chapters of his book on the subject He does not hesitate to speak frankly about systemic racism in our society

After the events of the last few months, notably with the “Black Lives Matter” movement, he called back his editor to make important changes

« They had been written for a long time and I had walked on eggshells during my writing, » says Ali Nestor After some incidents that happened, I contacted my editor to ask if I could write passages with my real vision of the situation

He tells of several humiliating and violent situations of which he was the victim during his childhood and adolescence The chapter « racial profiling » could make many people open their eyes on this subject

When you light up Nestor’s book, you might think he is a diviner. He has devoted an entire chapter to the racism that Indigenous people have suffered for decades

The veteran hit the nail on the head in not knowing that Joyce Echaquan’s death was going to occur shortly before the release of his book

« People will think I am referring to this story as I write this part several months ago Between 2003 and 2020, there was an awareness that took place

« On the other hand, at the state level, there hasn’t been a lot of evolution. People may have evolved, but as long as the structure remains the same, there will always be this form of racism that goes. exist « 

Ali Nestor