Shawky Fahel came to Canada in the 1960’s and started his first business in 1979 with a $1000 loan and nothing more than a few carpet and paint supplies.  Based in Waterloo, ON, Shawky became successful businessman, political activist and philanthropist who has received innumerable awards over the years, both at the local and national level, for his various contributions.  Yet amidst all this busyness and success, he has remained committed to improving the lives of Palestinians, both in Palestine and in the diaspora in Canada.  His most recent philanthropic gesture – one that we ..read more

Malak El Batroukh, a Palestinian-Canadian based in Waterloo has just launched an exciting new community project called Sporas (Scattered.) Through this project, Malak aims to make Palestinian culture and tradition more accessible to diaspora youth.  In this episode, we talk to Malak about her vision for Sporas, and her broader work as a activist for Palestinian rights and freedom.  Learn more:  Sporas Instagram page  Announcement of Malak's undergraduate fellowship from CJPME Subscribe to this podcast, and donate to CJPME to support the work that we do ..read more

In this special Nakba edition, lawyer James Kafieh joins the conversation.  Kafieh has advocated for the rights of Palestinians and Arabs in Canada his whole life, leading both the Canadian Arab Federation and the Palestinian Canadian Congress at various points.  Kafieh was born in Canada to Palestinian parents who were among the first Palestinian refugees to emigrate to Canada.  Raised as a second generation Canadian, the son of immigrants, hear how his understanding of his Palestinian identity, and the Nakba has evolved over time.   Links from this podcast: Palestinian C ..read more

Like many Palestinian Canadians, Grace Batchoun came to Canada as a young person, and had to find her way in a new country, with two new languages.  But she never forgot her Palestinian roots, and two decades after arriving in Canada, she co-founded Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME).  In this episode, Grace joins Nur to talk about her Palestinian identity, her vision and work for Palestinian human rights, and the challenges she faced along the way.   Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East   Subscribe to this podcast, and donate to CJPM ..read more

In this episode, we are joined by Saeed Teebi, a writer and lawyer based in Toronto who has recently released a highly celebrated book of short stories entitled, “Her First Palestinian.”  Teebi’s book is a collection of stories about diaspora Palestinians struggling to find their place as immigrants to Canada.  It is also one of five books shortlisted for the $60,000 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Prize for Fiction this year.  The title story in the book, "Her First Palestinian," was also shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize.  Teebi was born to Palestinian parents i ..read more

Shadia Qubti is a Palestinian from Nazareth who is currently completing a degree in Interreligious and Indigenous Studies at Vancouver School of Theology in Canada.  Prior to coming to Canada, Shadia studied International Relations and English Language at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as well as Conflict Resolution and Nonviolent Action at Trinity Dublin College in Ireland. She has worked for over 10 years in policy initiatives and peacebuilding in various organizations, both local and international, working with both Palestinians and Israelis. Through her academic and professional ..read more

Abeer Barakat is a Palestinian lecturer of English at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza and is a PhD candidate at the University of Putra Malaysia.  Abeer is an activist for the Palestinian cause and has done amazing activism work in the field of female empowerment and has provided mothers and children impacted by attacks on Gaza with continuous psychological support.  She as well has published a number of academic articles about the Palestinian-Israeli media discourse. Abeer is also apart of Rose2Rose, a Malaysian women NGO that is working for the support of the Pal ..read more

In this episode, Tom is joined by Fargo Tbakhi, a queer Palestinian American writer and performance artist based in Washington D.C. and winner of 2018 Ghassan Kanafani Resistance Arts Prize. His writings have been published in various literary publications including The Berkeley Review. He is also the recipient of several fellowships. Fargo’s writings and performances challenge notions of erasure and colonization and propose a reality of a free and unoccupied Palestine. Links: Follow Fargo on Twitter  Visit Fargo’s website to learn about him and his work  Subscribe to this podcast ..read more

In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla, and Tom are joined by Ahmed Masoud, Gaza-born Palestinian writer, director, and academic based in the United Kingdom. Ahmed is the author of Come What May and Vanished  which address issues in Gazan society, as well as in broader trends in Palestinian history. Ahmed has also directed a number of plays and is the co-founder of PalArt, a collective initiative aimed at promoting Palestinian voices and content in the arts and media. Listen in as we learn about Ahmed’s interest in creative writing and his efforts to amplify Palestinian voices.  Links: Purc ..read more

In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla, and Tom are joined Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Palestinian-American scholar and academic, currently a Professor of History and Chancellor’s Chair at the University of California Berkeley. Dr Makdisi is the author of several books and publications on sectarianism, Ottoman and Arab history, US-Arab relations, and US missionary work in the Middle East. Listen in as we discuss Dr. Makdisi’s achievements and contributions to Middle-Eastern history, Arab identity and issues around Palestine-Israel.  Links: Follow Dr. Makdisi on Twitter  Purchase Age of Coexistence ..read more