How Do You Reclaim Your Voice After Captivity? Mellissa Fung on Trauma, Courage, Resilience and Bearing Witness to Women’s Suffering in War

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“You don't know how strong you are until you're faced with a crisis. I never thought I could survive being kidnapped and thrown into a hole. But somehow, you find the strength in you to get through it.” - Mellissa Fung

In this powerful episode, I sit down with veteran journalist, author, and filmmaker Mellissa Fung, whose work spans war zones, survival, and the untold stories of women living through conflict. Mellissa shares her personal journey—from her early reporting days at CBC to being kidnapped while on assignment in Afghanistan, and how that experience reshaped her understanding of trauma, agency, and the power of narrative.

We discuss how she transformed her experience from victimhood to resilience and why she continues to shine a light on the lives of women and girls affected by war—especially in Afghanistan and Nigeria. From her acclaimed books Under an Afghan Sky and Between Good and Evil, to her documentary Captive, Mellissa’s storytelling centers empathy, courage, and the fight for dignity in forgotten corners of the world.

This episode is about more than journalism. It’s about finding strength through pain, the responsibility to amplify unheard voices, and the resilience it takes to keep caring in a world overwhelmed by conflict and complexity.

What We Talk About:

• Melissa’s early career and what drew her to stories of women and overlooked communities
• Her harrowing 2008 kidnapping in Afghanistan—and how she mentally and emotionally survived
• The process of reclaiming her story and identity through healing and writing
• Her powerful return to Afghanistan and what it taught her about trauma recovery
• Why she chose to document the stories of girls abducted by Boko Haram
• The growing global indifference to women's suffering in conflict zones—and what we risk by looking away
• Reflections on resilience, agency, faith, and post-traumatic growth
• The shifting landscape of women’s rights around the world in 2025

Key Takeaways:

• Resilience isn’t about being unshaken. It’s about staying present, accepting pain, and finding strength even when broken.
• Storytelling is a form of resistance. When the world looks away, telling the truth becomes an act of care and courage.
• Healing isn’t linear. Melissa’s journey reminds us that trauma can be transformed, but not rushed or erased.
• Human rights must remain universal. The rollback of women’s freedoms globally is not just a regional issue—it’s a shared responsibility.

Featured Works by Mellissa Fung:

• Under an Afghan Sky: A Memoir of Captivity
• Between Good and Evil: The Stolen Girls of Boko Haram
• Captive (Documentary Film)

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Chapters

1. How Do You Reclaim Your Voice After Captivity? Mellissa Fung on Trauma, Courage, Resilience and Bearing Witness to Women’s Suffering in War (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Resilience (00:00:16)

3. Conversation with Melissa Fung (00:02:14)

4. Meet Melissa Fung (00:02:29)

5. Journey to Freelancing (00:04:14)

6. The Vancouver Tragedy (00:06:52)

7. Kidnapped in Afghanistan (00:08:14)

8. Coping Mechanisms in Captivity (00:15:01)

9. Writing to Reclaim (00:19:31)

10. The Journey of Healing (00:21:35)

11. Women and Conflict (00:22:36)

12. Telling the Stories of Girls (00:24:49)

13. Challenges in Amplifying Voices (00:27:50)

14. Producing the Documentary (00:31:24)

15. Lessons on Resilience (00:35:09)

16. Perspectives on Women's Rights (00:39:48)

17. Advice for Healing (00:46:00)

18. Legacy and Impact (00:49:16)

19. Closing Reflections (00:50:37)