In this episode, I talk about headlining Transform The Night and how it all came to be with opening act, DJ Seith, and speaker, Karen Bird, Founder of Nakehndan.

Transform The Night was a benefit concert held on Sunday, September 28th, 2025. With a contribution from Northern Credit Union, we were able to contribute $3,000 CAD to our community spotlight partner, Nakehndan, supporting Indigenous survivors of abuse across Northern Ontario.

Headliner: Vanessa Ferlaino

Opening Artist: DJ Seith

Community Spotlight: Nakehndan

Speaker: Vanessa Ferlaino

Speaker: Karen Bird / Nakehndan

Venue: The Speakeasy

Video: Rogers

The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe!

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier".

Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday, September 28th, award-winning artist, Vanessa Ferlaino, headlined Transform The Night. With a contribution from Northern Credit Union, we were able to contribute $3,000 CAD to our community spotlight partner, Nakehndan, supporting Indigenous survivors of abuse across Northern Ontario.

00:00 - Headliner Speaker: Vanessa Ferlaino

26:21 - Community Spotlight Speaker: Karen Bird, Founder of Nakehndan

33:44 - Headliner Performance: Vanessa Ferlaino

1:21:55 - Closing & Credits

Headliner: Vanessa Ferlaino

Community Spotlight: Nakehndan

Speaker: Vanessa Ferlaino

Speaker: Karen Bird / Nakehndan

Venue: The Speakeasy

Video: Echotech and Rogers

The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe!

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier".

Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Injustice comes in many forms in Hebron, the largest city in The West Bank, and the epicentre of The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Jehad has not forgotten the survival mechanisms, the suffocating permits, or the violence that fuel his social justice work in Canada, where he has led some of Ontario’s largest organizations and supported various minoritized communities since his arrival in 1988.

But Hebron is home for Jehad, who also has memories of family, culture, bustling city streets, fresh bread, and Enab Dibs. His Palestinian culture is something he has been able to explore deeper in Canada where he is not asked to present permits everywhere he goes, and where his culture is not banned, unlike back home.

Jehad visits home with his own children every year, where he is reminded of the grave injustices that still exist. The violence in The West Bank has increased over the last few years, leading to a death toll of over 250 Palestinians in this year alone. Having lived through the occupation himself, he says: “The only consistency in The Arab-Israeli Conflict is the Israeli occupation.” Government complicity, normalized violence, and the weaponization of anti-semitism have led to the silencing of Palestinian voices and justification of genocide and occupation.

Tying his social justice work with his experience living under occupation, Jehad shares how Palestinian culture has been deeply embedded in his advocacy work; his experiences living through occupation and genocide; and ultimately, what he believes is the road to liberation for all.

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge was recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier”. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there!

Learn more about Laidlaw Foundation’s work with Black and Indigenous youth at https://laidlawfdn.org/

Learn more about The Human Challenge at https://vanessaferlaino.com/thehumanchallenge

The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe!

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier".

Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.