From War Survivor to Changemaker: Hanen Nanaa’s Journey of Social Innovation

In this episode, we sit down with Hanen Nanaa, a war survivor, refugee, and one of Canada’s youngest social entrepreneurs. Arriving in Toronto in 2016, Hanen turned her lived experiences into action, founding the Books Art Music (BAM) Collective, a powerful platform empowering youth and equity-deserving communities through art, policy, and innovation. 

From influencing national policy to bridging gender gaps and advocating for refugee and Indigenous communities, Hanen’s impact extends far beyond Toronto. She has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award,  and the Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership.  

Join us as we dive into Hanen’s extraordinary journey—her experiences as a refugee, her passion for social change, and how she’s reshaping civic engagement in Canada. 

Host: Rustam Zadran
Journey Maps is brought to you by Journeys to Active Citizenship, a unique collaborative project that co-designs curriculum and tools for civic engagement programs for —and with— immigrants and refugees. 

Learn more at journeystoactivecitizenship.ca 

This 5-year project (2020-2025) was a Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants and North York Community House and is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. 

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea

License code: TZAWOJFVT5YPZ3ZU

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