Accomplished writer, advocate, and global bridge-builder Mina Sharif takes listeners on a powerful journey in this deeply moving conversation about identity, storytelling, and challenging dominant narratives.

Her new book, Your War, Our Lives: Short Stories of the Afghan Experience, wasn’t born from a publishing plan but from a deeply personal desire to preserve memories and offer counter-narratives to the conflict-driven images of Afghanistan so often portrayed in Western media.

“What I saw missing was what everyday life in Afghanistan looks and feels like,” Sharif shares, explaining how her writing began as cathartic journaling reflecting on her 14 years of living in Kabul.

After the fall of Afghanistan in 2021, she was invited to speak at countless events — but instead of being asked about her lived experiences, she was met with geopolitical questions rooted in stereotypes. Frustrated, she made it her mission to use storytelling, writing, and art as tools to move beyond the black-and-white narrative of Afghanistan, highlighting its nuance and complexity through lived experiences and everyday stories — not just politics or headlines.

Sharif reflects on how returning to her homeland in 2005 profoundly shaped her understanding of belonging. With disarming honesty, she realized that “avoidance isn’t an option” when it comes to cultural identity — but you do have the autonomy to choose how you explore and engage with it.

In this episode, we explore the idea of coexistence and Sharif’s experience of “straddling two worlds” — feeling “so Canadian” in Afghanistan, then returning to find herself changed by her years abroad. She offers powerful insights for anyone navigating dual identities: “Maybe it doesn’t mean that I’m without a home,” she reflects. “Maybe it means I have more than one.”

Sharif is also the founder of Sisters 4 Sisters, a nationwide mentorship program for Afghan women and girls that grew out of grassroots community action.

A prominent voice in the Afghan diaspora, she uses her platform to bridge cultural gaps and deepen understanding of Afghan life. She co-authored The Diaspora Journal, writes The Hyphenated Blog, and has been featured across major publications, TV, podcasts, and radio. Her work continues to shape conversations on conflict-affected communities, women’s rights, and uplifting marginalized voices.

For Mina Sharif, advocacy starts with storytelling. She believes emotional connection leaves a deeper, lasting impact than facts alone — and that everyone’s story deserves to be told.

Listen now to learn why she calls community collaboration “a cheat code” for finding your voice.

Learn more about Mina Sharif and her work here:

https://minasharif.com/

https://minasharif.com/your-war-our-lives

Original illustrations by ArtLords: https://artlords.co/

Dr. Daniela Vaca brings an international and revolutionary perspective to plastic surgery, transforming it from a misunderstood field often associated with vanity into a pathway for genuine empowerment and healing.

Drawing on her clinical research at Harvard Medical School, her experience treating burn victims and breast cancer survivors in Colombia, and her specialized microsurgery training at Toronto General Hospital in Canada, she shows how plastic surgery can be both a medical necessity and a personal choice—each equally valid when approached with care and intention.

Dr. Daniela Vaca is redefining plastic surgery by rejecting the “quick fix” mindset. Early in her career, she saw patients return for repeat liposuction because nothing had changed at the root — their habits, health, and mindset. Determined to make a real, lasting impact, she blended her passion for health, fitness, and wellness into her practice.

Through the Thrive Club wellness program, co-founded with her brother Juan Sebastián, Dr. Vaca creates personalized plans for patients before and after surgery — from nutrition and fitness to mindset coaching. Her philosophy is clear: surgery is just one part of a larger transformation. Sustainable and long term results come when patients commit to changing how they live, not just how they look.

The conversation delves into the artistry of plastic surgery, where Dr. Daniela Vaca balances patients’ aesthetic goals with medical safety while honoring each patient's unique body structure. She passionately debunks common misconceptions, particularly the false dichotomy between acceptance and enhancement. "If you're working on yourself, going to therapy, have good relationships...but don't like something about yourself, why not get that change?" she asks, challenging the notion that seeking physical enhancement automatically signals insecurity or superficiality.

Looking toward the future, Dr. Daniela Vaca shares exciting technological developments in the field—from AI-assisted surgical planning to advanced tissue engineering and improved breast implant technology that reduces inflammation. These innovations promise to make plastic surgery safer and more personalized while maintaining natural-looking results.

Whether you're considering plastic surgery or simply curious about this often-misunderstood field, this conversation offers invaluable insights into how female surgeons are redefining beauty standards and patient care.

Learn more about Dr. Daniela Vaca and her work here:

https://www.danielavacamd.com/en/about

https://www.thriveclub.info/en

https://www.facebook.com/p/Dra-Daniela-Vaca-Grisales-100088033115275/

https://www.youtube.com/@Danielavacagrisales

Hunger doesn't discriminate, but our systems often do. In 2024, Statistics Canada reported that 10 million Canadians — including 2.5 million children — lived in households that couldn’t reliably afford food. That’s families skipping meals, parents making impossible choices, and children going to school hungry in one of the world's wealthiest nations.

And while food insecurity touches every province, it cuts even deeper in the territories. In Nunavut, nearly half the population struggles with access to food. In the Northwest Territories and Yukon, it's more than 1 in 5. These numbers don’t just tell us who’s missing meals — they tell us who’s being left behind economically.

Because food insecurity isn't just about food. It’s a red flag for deeper financial distress — households choosing between rent, medication, heat, or a week of groceries. It’s a symptom of poverty — and a signal for policy failure.

Jasmine Ramze Rezaee, Director of Policy and Community Action for Community Food Centres Canada, joins us to challenge conventional wisdom about hunger and food insecurity in Canada. With passion and precision, she dismantles the myth that food insecurity is simply about food. "Food insecurity is not a food problem," she explains, "it's an income problem." This critical distinction shapes everything about how we should respond to this growing crisis.

The conversation takes us beyond emergency food relief to examine the structural forces creating hunger: stagnant wages, skyrocketing living costs, and inadequate social support systems that effectively "legislate poverty." We explore how traditional approaches like food banks, while necessary, cannot solve the underlying issues alone. Instead, Ramsey-Razai presents a compelling case for policy solutions like a new Groceries and Essentials Benefit, $150 per adult, $50 per child, that would provide direct financial support to 9 million struggling Canadians.

Perhaps most powerful is her framing of food security as fundamental to democracy itself. "Rising inequality, rising poverty, and rising food insecurity does and will undermine democracy," she warns. By connecting hunger to our broader social contract, she reveals how addressing food insecurity isn't just about feeding people – it's about the kind of society we want to build.

Whether you're concerned about poverty, inequality, or the future of our democratic institutions, this episode offers both sobering insights and practical pathways forward. Listen now to understand why hunger persists in Canada and what meaningful solutions might look like.

Check out Jasmine Ramze Rezaee and Community Food Centres Canada’s policy recommendations here:

https://act.beyondhunger.ca/page/66634/action/1

What good are human rights if you’re always hungry? We need a new benefit for groceries and essentials: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/what-good-are-human-rights-if-youre-always-hungry-we-need-a-new-benefit-for/article_0c7c92e8-b3fc-11ef-b2ca-0f7c0e42a2db.html

Food insecurity sources:

https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/