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Mariam Issa
PrintStoryteller with a passion for building resilience and community in the face of hardship.
Through powerful stories that tell of her trials and tribulations, Mariam Issa has inspired countless women to stop seeing themselves as victims, but to see the butterfly within in order to achieve their fullest potential.
Speaker Categories
- After Dinner Speakers
- Community / Social Conscience Speakers
- Diversity and Inclusion Speakers
- Female Motivational Speakers
- Goal Setting Speakers
- Inspirational Speakers
- Leadership Speakers
- Motivational Speakers
- Overcoming Adversity / Resilience Speakers
Testimonials for Mariam Issa
"We received glowing feedback from attendees across all three International Women’s Day events that Mariam spoke at. Her gentle nature and important story left our guests feeling inspired and moved. She was a delight to work with in the lead up to the events, and we’re so grateful that we had the opportunity to meet. Thank you, Mariam!"
Mandy Schultze, Events Coordinator - Women in Super
"Mariam taught us that women need community, connection, an identity and independence. We need to love each other and more importantly we need to love ourselves. It is through this self and shared kindness that we can overcome adversity and truly thrive. Mariam is a wise and compelling speaker, who provoked her audience to focus on what is most important in our lives."
Head of Campus - Geelong Grammar school
Mariam Issa has now guest lectured for two years in our postgraduate subject Participation and Negotiation. Both times, she has enthralled 40+ postgraduates in professional planning, architecture, and environmental studies. Mariam is an inspiring public speaker and storyteller. Her work in bringing women and communities together has greatly affected the students and we have heard from them how her story is going to have an impact on their future work. I would not hesitate to recommend Mariam as a speaker, or an advisor on community development and inclusion. It is a privilege to know her.
Melbourne University
Fee Range: Up to $5000
Mariam Issa's Biography
Storyteller with a passion for building resilience and community in the face of hardship.
Through powerful stories that tell of her trials and tribulations, Mariam Issa has inspired countless women to stop seeing themselves as victims, but to see the butterfly within in order to achieve their fullest potential.
At age 30, Mariam moved to Melbourne from her Somali homeland with her husband, four children, and a fifth on the way. Mariam struggled to adapt to a foreign culture that was far away from the tight communities and families she was familiar with in Somalia. Having spent 10 years going through depression, Mariam decided to be an activist by taking her own experiences and sharing it with the world around her.
Mariam is the distinguished author of “A Resilient Life,” a story of resilience in the face of hardship. It is an inspiring exploration into the spirit of determination, optimism, and all that makes us human. She is also the co-founder of RAW (Resilient Aspiring Women), a not-for-profit organisation that supports women’s resilience through intercultural exchanges facilitated by storytelling, cooking and gardening.
Mariam is committed to improving refugee’s lives by sharing her own experiences on the board of Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, serving as an ambassador for Refugee Council of Australia and a Director at Family Peace. She is an International Women’s Forum member and co-founder of Space2b, an art and design-based social enterprise established to support asylum seekers, refugees and newly-arrived migrants.
In recognition of her on-going work amongst Melbourne’s culturally diverse population, Mariam was awarded the Ambassador of Peace award from the Universal Peace Federation. She is regularly speaks to large organisations and conferences, as well as being featured on national Australian TV and radio.
Having undergone her own hardships, Mariam is committed to sharing her own stories in order to help people overcome adversity through resilience and connecting with their local community.
Speaking Topics Include
Resilience
Circle of grace
Stories of love, trust and connection
How to deal with adversity
How to face pressures of being a leader
How to face the unknown
Inspiring & Unlocking potential