About

Fostering lasting peace and connection through story, empathy, and celebration of diverse ways of knowing and being.

Bridging Divides, Transforming Conflicts: A Visionary Leader in Peacebuilding and Decolonization

With strong matriarchal roots and an inherent drive to decolonize systems, Somia has always sought to inspire and uplift young leaders, particularly those from traditionally marginalized and minority populations. Somia aims to foster workplaces and societies that embody principles of humility, respect, and reciprocity.

Somia is the founder of Narratives Inc., an award-winning consulting firm based in Winnipeg that focuses on impact assessment, conflict transformation, and community engagement. She also founded Kahanee, a non-profit in Canada dedicated to amplifying stories and promoting peacebuilding through storytelling, and Kahanee Suno, a welfare organization based in Pakistan that spotlights ancestral community-based conflict transformation systems.

Portrait of Somia Sadiq
Professional Expertise

Recognized Leader in Planning, Environment, and Security

Somia is a Registered Professional Planner and member of the prestigious College of Fellows with the Canadian Institute of Planners, an Environmental Professional with Eco Canada, an Associate with the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society, and a member of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs in The Hague. She sits on the Minister’s Advisory Council on Impact Assessment, advising the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the implementation of Impact Assessment in Canada.

Somia's portfolio includes peacebuilding through storytelling, negotiations, and trauma-informed engagement. She is regularly invited to provide input and advice on impact assessment, conflict prevention, and engagement, delivering talks and keynote addresses on topics such as trauma-informed leadership, pushing for professions to honour difference and diversity, women in leadership, and identity and belonging.

Keynote Speaking Topics and Areas
of Expertise

Somia is always open to joining the conversation. Engage her for insights on:
The Healing Power of Storywork
Storywork, dialogue, collective truth work, and apologies play crucial roles in healing and reconciliation.
Embracing Diversity in Organizations
Building organizations that honour differences of many forms.
Trauma-Informed Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs
Leading in a trauma-informed manner within entrepreneurship and leadership roles.
Strength in Diversity
Understanding the dimensions of Othering, Framing, and Trauma and reflecting on what it means to bring together strength from many people.
Conflict Transformation for Peacebuilding
Using identity-based conflict transformation models to support peacebuilding, healing, and transformation efforts between groups.
Workplace Reciprocity
balancing our understanding of rights with our responsibilities to foster healthy workplaces.
Respecting Knowledge
Implementing Free, Prior, and Informed Consent and UNDRIP to honour multiple ways of knowing in project development.
Other Topics
Exploring additional themes related to leadership, conflict transformation, and impact assessment.
Following principles of equity, Somia offers speaking fees on a sliding scale. Please contact to inquire further.
Vision
Fostering lasting peace and connection through story, empathy, and celebration of diverse ways of knowing and being.
Mission
Create a world where people and communities flourish in peace and connection, where trauma is acknowledged and healed, and where legacies of empathy shape a brighter future for all generations.