International Development Week (IDW) is an annual tradition that takes place during the first full week of February. Here in Manitoba, February is also I Love to Read month and at MCIC, we love this combo! Each year we combine international cooperation and reading in our IDW events and resources.

To celebrate IDW, MCIC brought award-winning Syrian-Canadian author Danny Ramadan to Manitoba. Danny was a refugee in Lebanon before moving to Canada, settling in Vancouver, BC. He has written books for adults and children, interweaving themes of love, community, and the refugee experience. His latest publication, Crooked Teeth (2024) is a beautiful and hard-hitting memoir.

An Evening with Danny Ramadan

Last month, MCIC hosted An Evening with Danny Ramadan at the Forks Market. Guests were welcomed into the beautiful second-floor event space with smiles and snacks. The audience gathered close (with Faith's encouragement!) and listened as Faith Fundal, host of CBC's Up to Speed, began the friendly conversation on stage.

Faith was a graceful host of the evening, easily engaging Danny in a casual interview-style conversation. Danny described his experiences as a gay man in Syria and refugee. He discussed harmful assumptions and read excerpts from his memoir. Danny and Faith laughed at jokes, grew serious at times, and impressed the audience with their natural chemistry.

Local bookstore, Whodunit Mystery Bookstore joined us for the evening. They hosted a book stand featuring Crooked Teeth and other works by Danny alongside books from MCIC's annual booklists. As people were racing to get their books signed by Danny, Whodunit quickly sold out of Crooked Teeth.

Watch and share the conversation! Find the video here.

Danny visited Manitoba schools

With his children’s book Salma the Syrian Chef in hand, Danny and MCIC team members visited two schools, Glenwood School and École R.W. Bobby Bend School. Surrounded by enthusiastic students, Danny read the first in his popular Salma series.

Salma is a young Syrian girl who came to Canada with her family as refugees. In Salma the Syrian Chef, Salma wants to cook her mom’s favourite Syrian dish, foul shami (pronounced “fool shammy”) to cheer her up. But Salma is struggling–she doesn’t know the English names of the ingredients she needs or where to find them.

While reading the story, Danny paused from time to time to ask the students questions:

• “Salma is cooking her mom’s favourite Syrian food. What is your favourite food from your culture?" or
• “Salma is feeling frustrated because she doesn’t know the English names of the items she needs. What other emotions is Salma feeling?” 

Students at both schools were great listeners! They were also eager to engage with Danny and answer his questions. Through reading Salma the Syrian Chef, students left with a positive message and greater understanding of how we are all similar.

Read more about Danny's visit to Glenwood school from Louis Riel School Division.

MCIC’s IDW events with Danny were fun, insightful and inspiring. Schools, community organizations, a local bookstore, and others worked together to create a beautiful sense of connection and community. We are grateful to everyone who helped make these events a success. Storytelling and listening are powerful tools in inspiring and fostering positive action!

Did you attend any of our Danny Ramadan events? We'd love to hear about your experiences! Email us at sustainability@mcic.ca or DM us on socials. We're on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About the photos

Top photo: Danny holds up Salma the Syrian Chef in front of a group of students during his reading. Photo credit Louis Riel School Division.

Second photo: Faith and Danny talk in front of an audience at The Forks market event space.

Bottom photo: Danny smiles while holding copies of his Salma books. Photo credit Louis Riel School Division.