Izzeddin Hawamda:
Exploring identity and belonging through the lens of statelessness

Izzeddin Hawamda- عزالدین حوامده was born and raised in a rural village just outside of Nablus 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 recently 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.


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 used Palestinian traditional
methods such as Sulha- to promote conflict Resolution, forgiveness and reconciliation. 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 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.