Jamil Jivani grew up in a mostly immigrant community in Toronto, where he was nearly lost to feelings of hopelessness, anger, and hate. At 16 years old, he was labelled illiterate by the public school system. But, Jamil turned his life around with the support of role models and mentors. He went on to graduate from Yale Law School, teach at Osgoode Hall Law School, and dedicate his career to supporting youth facing challenges like he did growing up. Jamil’s work has taken him all over the world, from Belgium and Egypt, where he studied ways to help young men escape the influence of terrorist groups, to Ohio, where he partnered with JD Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, to help solve America’s opioid crisis. Jamil’s leadership has been recognized with awards from many organizations, including the International Development and Relief Foundation, Yale University, and York University. Most recently, at 31 years old, Jamil survived a fight with stage IV cancer, which gave him even greater insights into how people can overcome adversity. His first book, Why Young Men: The Dangerous Allure of Violent Movements and What We Can Do About It, was published in 2019.
Jamil Jivani
BIOGRAPHY