Article content

When people talk about Basel Abou Hamrah‘s home country of Syria, it can be hard to hear some of the words they use.

Death, destruction and displacement have become common vernacular for the war-torn nation.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Syrian refugees hoping to show another side of war-torn nation at Heritage Festival Back to video

This weekend Abou Hamrah is hoping to add another descriptor to the list, one that should have particular resonance to his new home in Canada: Diversity.

“I want people to know that we are a diverse people in Syria; we have many cultures,” the young refugee said Saturday at the Edmonton Heritage Festival, perhaps the perfect venue from which to spread a message of multicultural pride.

“I hope when we have peace in my country again, people will come to see it for themselves. For now we are here to show the beautiful side of Syria.”

Without the resources to organize their own pavilion for the festival, the city’s fledgling Syrian community has instead claimed a corner of the tent operated by the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers. Alongside are entries from Mali, Burundi, Togo and Barbados, making the tent a truly intercontinental experience.