| Peace by Chocolate | |
| Foundation: | 2016 |
| Founder: | Tareq Hadhad |
| Location City: | Antigonish, Nova Scotia |
| Location Country: | Canada |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Industry: | Confectionery production |
| Products: | Food (Chocolate) |
Peace by Chocolate is a chocolate company based in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1] The company was founded in 2016 by the Hadhad family, after moving to Canada as Syrian refugees.[2] [3] [4]
The Hadhad family embarked on their chocolate-making journey in 1986 when Issam Hadhad opened a factory and two shops in Damascus.[5] [6] The facilities were destroyed during the Syrian civil war. The Hadhads lived as refugees in Lebanon for three years before Issam's son, Tareq, was offered a sponsorship in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 2015. The rest of the family followed in 2016.[7] [8] Upon arriving in Canada, Issam Hadhad began making chocolate out of his kitchen.[9] The family wanted to increase production and reached out for financial assistance. After explaining that "borrowing money from a bank is not part of our culture" they received an interest-free loan from the community.[10] They raised over $25,000 in a GoFundMe campaign.[11] Peace By Chocolate has also received over $400,000 in assistance from government sources, such as Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, which is part of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.[12]
In 2018, Peace by Chocolate started the organization, Peace on Earth Society, which receives 3-5% of all company returns. The company considers the society to be an "early step towards one day creating a registered not-for-profit." By September 2023, the company had put $552,000 into the Peace on Earth Society.[13] [14]
One of Tareq Hadhad's goals is for his family to receive a Nobel Peace Prize by 2050. He believes in "being selfless" and stated, "part of our major core values is to give back, to support multiculturalism, inclusion and diversity as part of our strengths."[10] Peace by Chocolate's story is frequently cited by the Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears in a promotional video for the company.[15] [16] [17]
In September 2020, Tareq Hadhad won a National Entrepreneurship Award for his positive impact as a new Canadian, and was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards of 2020.[18] [19] On March 5, 2021, the company opened a storefront along the Halifax Waterfront.[20] Tareq Hadhad was appointed to Invest Nova Scotia's board of directors in September 2017.[21] He offers his services as a speaker at promotional events.[22]
Jon Tattrie wrote a book about the Hadhad company in 2020.[23] A film adaptation of the family's story, also called Peace by Chocolate, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021.[24]
In 2022, Tareq Hadhad was named as a panelist on Canada Reads, advocating for Omar El Akkad's novel What Strange Paradise.[25]
In March 2023, during United States President Joe Biden’s trip to Ottawa, Green Party leader Elizabeth May gave him a chocolate bar from Peace by Chocolate as a gift.[26]