Episode 23 - Mevan Babakar - The Refugee & Her Bicycle

Apr 6

When Stephanie referred Mevan Babakar to me because of her book, The Bicycle, I thought it would be a cute story of a girl who was given a bicycle as a young refugee in the Netherlands and how it made an impression on her life. I did NOT know her story would touch my heart so much. Mevan and her family fled Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror on the Kurds and her long journey through the Middle East to Russia and the Netherlands, finally settling in the United Kingdom.

We talk about:

The unseen power of policies like no-fly zones and refugee programs that literally save lives.
How community acts of kindness, from sharing food to giving a child a bike, create enduring bonds and reshape destinies.
The importance of embracing the “in-between” identity that refugees and diaspora communities forge, a space where cultural blending and community become a new homeland.
The ongoing impacts of global conflicts today, how narratives are shaped, and why individual stories like Mevan’s reveal the truth behind the headlines.
Why storytelling and kindness are revolutionary acts in a fractured world, and how small gestures can reconnect us to our shared humanity.

Whether you love stories about overcoming adversity, exploring identities in diaspora, or the transformative power of community, you'll leave inspired to see your own “in-between” moments as opportunities for connection and change. Join us as Mevan, a refugee turned author and activist, takes us on a breathtaking voyage from war-torn Kurdistan to the streets of Europe and beyond, reminding us all that hope is found in the simplest acts and the stories we choose to tell.

Links

Support my podcast at www.pattybikes.com/podcast

Check Mevan’s website at https://mevanbabakar.com/

Order my book in Canada from McNally Robinson: https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9781773371399/patty-wiens/thatll-never-work-here?blnBKM=1

and in the USA from Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/that-ll-never-work-here-challenging-the-myths-around-biking-in-a-winter-city-the-city-project-book-3/632bcbd73d3178fe?ean=9781773371399&next=t

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