September 19, 2025

Stories for Learning and Healing
9:00–11:00 AM  Conference Room

All students are invited to participate in a storytelling based workshop to guide us in building connections within and across communities. For more information and to sign up in advance, contact Danielle Morton at dmorton@cmu.ca 

About the Workshop

When we take time to reflect upon the stories, myths, and experiences that shape who we are, we begin to see both the strengths and the limits of our perspectives. Our stories alone are never complete. It is only through listening, connecting, and sharing that we deepen empathy, expand understanding, and open new ways of seeing the world.

This workshop grows from a passion for education and the transformative power of stories. Through creative exercises in writing, sharing, and dialogue, participants are invited to explore their own journeys while also learning from one another. The workshop emphasizes student voices and educational storytelling as pathways to connection, healing, and bridge-building across communities.

About the Facilitator

Izzeddin Hawamda-ﺣﻮاﻣﺪه ﻋﺰاﻟﺪﻳﻦ was born and raised in the West Bank, Palestine. He currently serves as the Anti- Racist Education Professional Learning Initiative Coordinator with Louis Riel, River East Transcona, and Winnipeg School Divisions. Izzeddin has completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manitoba. Izzeddin has been actively speaking about the power of dialogue and the importance of sharing, listening, and respecting diverse perspectives and narratives. Izzeddin has been telling stories of Palestine publicly using storytelling as an approach to bring communities together.

Izzeddin Hawamda is the founder of Sadaa ﺻﺪى that strives to create spaces where people can connect, share stories, and foster empathy through meaningful dialogue. Through the creation of the “Unbounded Stories “series, Izzeddin aims at connecting the Canadian public with the human face of the Palestinian story. Izzeddin has been awarded King Charles III’s Coronation Medal in recognition of his efforts in promoting dialogue. Izzeddin is dedicated to creating opportunities for different communities to share spaces and stories, fostering connections and breaking down barriers. Additionally, he is a member of the CRRIC board and the Countering Radicalization to Violence in Manitoba Schools, and he has been selected to join the inaugural CBC Manitoba Community Advisory Board. Izzeddin is a faculty fellow at Canadian Mennonite University. Izzeddin is currently teaching Indigenous Languages: Culture, Rights and conflict at the Global College-University of Winnipeg. Izzeddin believes in the transformative power of storytelling, which opens spaces for humanization and building empathy.