TEDxRideauCanal - Hamdi Mohamed - Immigrant Contributions: The Untold Story February 2, 2012

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Hamdi Mohamed is currently Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) - a non-profit, multi-service agency with award-winning community programs and services; serving more than 25,000 clients a year. Services include language instruction, settlement workers in schools (MLO), community integration, clinical counselling, and public education. She is inspired everyday by the resiliency, determination, courage, resourcefulness, and hope that refugees and immigrants demonstrate in their journey to make Ottawa home.

As Executive Director of a growing and dynamic community organization, Hamdi has played a crucial role in transforming the organizational culture and service delivery model and achieving higher levels of community engagement and dialogue on social inclusion in Ottawa. In her over 15 year's professional experience as an executive leader in the non-profit and voluntary sector, Hamdi has helped initiate groundbreaking and socially innovative programs and established partnerships and relationships with several community stakeholders to create bold initiatives that realize the vision of an inclusive Ottawa.
Hamdi believes that, as Canadians, we all have a social responsibility to promote a culture of respect within our communities and recognize that we have much to gain through contact with people of diverse backgrounds. She has dedicated most of her adult life to community organizing and building. She is passionate about social inclusion and equity issues.
Hamdi has a Ph.D. in history from University of Ottawa, a Master's degree in International Diplomacy from University of Ottawa and Honours degree in Education from Somali National University. Her TEDxTalk focuses on positive contributions made by immigrants, which are overlooked by mass media channels.

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