On May 13, Maytree president Ratna Omidvar gave the 4th annual June Callwood Lecture honouring the life, work and legacy of journalist-author-social activist June Callwood at the Toronto Reference Library. Unlike most of her speeches, Ratna’s lecture “A Canadian in the Making” was of a much more personal nature and she chose to write four letters to Canada.
“As I prepared for this year’s lecture, I thought about the thirty years since my arrival in Canada, and how much Canada and I have changed,” says Ratna. “How much we both are a work in progress.”
She spoke about her journey from exile to belonging, from refugee to one of leading social activist creating opportunities for a better Canada.
Ratna began by saying: “I’m going to tell you my story in Canada… My story is no different than that of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who choose to make Canada their home. We all have a starring role in the same reality show.”
View the video below (in 4 parts). Download the full text of Ratna’s lecture: Ratna Omidvar – A Canadian in the Making: Letters to Canada (PDF).
Part 1 – Exile
Part 2 – Exile to Endurance
Part 3 – Endurance to Awakening
Part 4 – Redemption
