Season 5 Episode 1: Afghanistan Panel

Tayiba NasrBorn and raised in Herat Afghanistan Tayiba is a Canadian citizen and has been living in Canada for 35 years and in London for 25 years. She is mother to 4 children who were born here. Tayiba has been active in the Afghan community in London for many years. She has been working for South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre as community support worker for the last 16 years. Tayiba has been involved with new comers through settlement services and as a translator with Cross Cultural Learner Centre. She has many relatives back home in Afghanistan Saboor KhanSaboor Khan has been a proud Londoner for the past 24 years, and has his roots in Afghanistan.  He finished his Undergrad in Engineering, subsequently did his Masters of Business Administration, and is currently practicing Law after his legal education.  He has also been serving as the chapterhead for the London branch of the Muslim Association of Canada for the past year, and loves working with the interfaith community in London.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, especially his 5 month old son.Michael AkpataMichael Edward Akpata was born in Edmonton, Alberta and spent his childhood years living in Red Deer, Alberta until moving to Ontario and settling in LaSalle in 2007. He is a University of Windsor graduate, public speaker and accomplished community leader.Mike is currently a Councilor in the Town of Lasalle. Mike had a lengthy career in public service that included 21 years with the Windsor Police Service as a Senior Constable in Investigations and 26 years as a Canadian Infantry Reservist with the Essex and Kent Scottish, deployed to Afghanistan in 2007.Over the past 20 years, Mike has devoted countless hours to community groups and charities in addition to raising a family and progressing in his career.In May 2010 Mike became the Provincial Sergeant Major for the Ontario Police Memorial. This annual event remembers and honours those who have died in uniform while serving their community, each May at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ontario.Mike has proudly accepted the role of being the key note speaker for the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Ceremonies in Windsor since 2012. Additionally he has been the key note speaker for annual events involving Crime Stoppers of Ontario, Royal Canadian Legion, Greater Essex County District School Board Principal’s Course, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Canadian Screen Writer’s Guild and Rotary International.In 2015 Mike was recognized for his outstanding service and named the Advocate of the Year for Seniors. He is also the proud recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubliee Medal 2014. Senior John Atkinson Award 2011, the Neal Jessop Award 2010, Canadian Forces Decoration and Commanders Commendation Award 2007.This Podcast Was Recorded on August 24th, 2021.