We Are Just Like You: Nujeen Mustafa on Disability and Difference While Fleeing Syria’s War

Born to a Kurdish family, Nujeen was an earnest young woman who loved football and enriched her mind through documentaries. But unlike most teens her age, she didn't go to school because of her disability.

In spite of the cards she was dealt, Nujeen was defiant and fought for a better future — eventually going on a 3,500 mile journey to escape the war in Syria on a wheelchair. In this episode, we'll hear about how Nujeen resettled as a student and activist in Germany, gaining global visibility as one BBC's 100 most influential and inspiring women for her refugee rights and disabilities advocacy. Through her story, we explore the migration of communities impacted by war and turmoil, as well as the grit needed to start a life in a new culture and community.

Host: Hazami Barmada, Founder and CEO, Humanity Lab Foundation.

HAZAMI BARMADA is the Founder & CEO of Humanity Lab Foundation and co-Executive Producer & Host

Finding Humanity Podcast. Hazami is a social entrepreneur, thought leader, and public affairs and social impact expert recognized by Forbes as an “inspirational agent of change.” She has consulted for many leading global brands including the United Nations, United Nations Foundation, Aspen Institute, and the Royal Court of the Sultanate of Oman. Among her posts at the United Nations, she served as the Coordinator for the United Nations Secretary General's World Humanitarian Summit, an Advisor to the first-ever United Nations Secretary-General's Youth Envoy, as a member of the United Nations SDG Strategy Hub for the launch of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Hazami has a Masters from Harvard University where she was an Edward S. Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management. She studied social and public policy at Georgetown University and has a BA in Anthropology and Sociology. Twitter: @hazamibarmada

Finding Humanity is a production of Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media. 

Subscribe, rate and leave us a review. Follow us on Twitter + Instagram @find_humanity and Facebook.