Canada – Syria
Biography
Nisreen is an Immigration and Resettlement specialist whose passion for working with refugees never led her to think she would ever become one herself. Born and raised in Damascus, Nisreen’s career was shaped while working for the Resettlement Unit of the Canadian Embassy in Syria. The escalating situation in Syria made it impossible for her to stay, so she made the tough decision to flee to Jordan. She landed in Canada as a Privately Sponsored Refugee. She now volunteers with several groups and provides interpretation, consultation, and support to both refugee sponsors and sponsored families.
Nisreen Ismail delivered her PeaceTalk alongside Erum Hasan.
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“I am from Syria. I grew up in a beautiful, diverse country that had zero political diversity. I went to university in Damascus. I worked with immigrants and refugees at the Canadian Embassy there. I had tons of friends. I took dance lessons. I loved attending film festivals. I got married, had a baby, then I witnessed a peaceful uprising met by an armed oppression.”
Nisreen Ismail