The Hum Podcast

Soyeon Jang escaped from North Korea in 1999 at the height of a famine that killed an estimated 3-million citizens. She talks about her unimaginable escape from North Korea, being sold and human trafficked in China, losing contact with her family, and her heroic journey that eventually brought her to Toronto. 

This week, hosts Gilad Cohen and Taylah Harris-Mungo interview each other. They chat about mental health, panic attacks, and anxiety while also exploring how growing up with immigrant / racialized families impacted how they see the world around them. 

Angela Nguyen is a registered nurse, human rights activist, and Founder/President of One Body Village Canada, a charity that is committed to supporting survivors of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking from Vietnam and Cambodia. She joins us to chat about her organization, modern day slavery, and how Canadians can join in the fight to combat human trafficking. 

DijahSB is a Toronto-based rapper, advocate for mental health, and huge basketball fan. They join co-hosts Gilad Cohen and Taylah Harris-Mungo to chat about the journey of becoming a full-time artist, how being gender non-binary let them be themselves, and how being a troll on Twitter has helped them develop a community.

Miral Mokhtar and Nouran Hussein are artists, activists and also queer refugees from Egypt. Forced to flee due to their sexual orientation, they join co-hosts Gilad Cohen and Taylah Harris-Mungo to chat about their love story, homophobia, their journey to Toronto and housing insecurity in Canada. 

Ann Shin is an award winning documentary filmmaker, advocate for North Korean refugees and author of The Last Exiles. She joins hosts Gilad Cohen and Taylah Harris-Mungo to discuss the plight of North Korean defectors, using the arts as a tool to share stories, and the misadventures of Dragon, a man with multiple cell phones.

Heather Trentacosta is a mother, host of the Without Conviction podcast, and brother of Sean Ryan, an incarcerated man who is claiming he is wrongfully convicted. She joins hosts Gilad Cohen and Taylah Harris-Mungo to discuss her brother’s story, how horrifically common it is for cases to be mishandled, and some intense prison escape stories. 

Brishkay Ahmed is an Afghan-Canadian documentary filmmaker who focuses her art on sharing stories of women’s rights. She joins us to talk about her life growing up in Afghanistan, the current conflict, and what Canadians can do to help. 

Rana Abu Fraiha is a Bedouin-Palestinian documentary filmmaker and close friend of Guy Ben-Aharon, an Israeli-American theatre director. They are also artists and advocates for peace between Palestine and Israel. They join hosts Gilad Cohen and Taylah Harris-Mungo to discuss how the conflict in the Middle East has impacted them, how trauma affects the way we view the world, and six hour lunches.

Sumaiya Matin is a social worker, a survivor of forced marriage, and author of The Shaytan Bride. She joins hosts Gilad Cohen and Taylah Harris-Mungo to talk about how people get trapped into forced marriages, how the Muslim faith is widely misinterpreted and exploited, as well as how her experiences inspired her to help others .

Nora Sandigo is an activist and the legal guardian of over 2,000 children of undocumented immigrants. She joins us to discuss the documentary The Great Mother, the complexities of being undocumented, and what everyday people can do to fix the problem.

This week, hosts Gilad Cohen and Andrea Rodriguez welcome ... Gilad Cohen and Andrea Rodriguez. Join our hosts as they chat about mental health in the workplace, growing up with immigrant mothers, and what it's like to meditate for ten days straight.

Sasha Joseph Neulinger is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, acclaimed filmmaker, and inspirational speaker. He joins us to discuss his documentary Rewind, how to create spaces for survivors, and learning to love himself again.

Todd “Speech” Thomas is a Grammy-winning musician and advocate for prison reform. He joins us to discuss the documentary 16 Bars, why it is so difficult to change the prison-industrial complex, and music’s role in social justice.

Mohamad Lazakani is a student, photographer, and Syrian refugee. He joins us to discuss his experiences fleeing war, settling in Toronto, life after the inspirational news stories, and why he will always consider Syria home.

Jeeti Pooni is a survivor of sexual abuse, a published author, and an advocate for the rights of survivors. She joins us with director Baljit Sangra to discuss the documentary Because We Are Girls, how the justice system can better support people living with trauma, and why she has hope for future generations.

Shaparak Shajarizadeh is a mother, asylum seeker, and an activist for women’s rights in Iran. She joins us to discuss Iran’s gender dynamics, her struggles with survivor’s guilt, and what Canada’s role should be in promoting gender equality.

Rod MacLeod is one of over 100 boys who was sexually assaulted by Father William "Hod" Marshall and the subject of the documentary Prey. He joins us with director Matt Gallagher to discuss his 50-year struggle with trauma, how the Catholic Church has continued to fail survivors, and if the institution has really changed.

Women are the fastest growing prison population worldwide. Bianca Mercer is a prison reform advocate, a former inmate, and subject of the film Conviction. She joins us with co-director Nance Ackerman to discuss their film, why we need to shift our resources from imprisonment to community-based rehabilitation, and the enduring stigma of life after prison.

Waad and Hamza al-Kateab are activists, survivors of the ongoing civil crisis in Syria, and also the proud parents of two children. Waad and Hamza join us this week with co-director Edward Watts to discuss their film For Sama, the hardships of living in Syria, and finding love in the midst of civil unrest.