Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay is an international human rights and democracy activist, author, public speaker and co-founder of “Stop Child Executions” and more recently Iranian Justice Collective (IJC).
After obtaining a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science at the University of British Columbia, Sciences Po in Paris and the International Study Centre in the UK, she became a Global Youth Educator with the Red Cross teaching on the humanitarian crisis of landmines, children affected by war and the poverty-disease cycle. In 2003, she won Miss Canada and came 1st runner up at Miss World giving her the platform she sought to raise awareness and funds for various charitable organizations including issues concerning natural disasters, fistula, bear bile farming and bridging the digital divide. In 2006 Nazanin successfully ran an international campaign to save the life of a juvenile sentenced to death in Iran for stabbing a man in self defense that tried to rape her. She then co-founded Stop Child Executions to help put an end to executions of juveniles worldwide. Meanwhile, Nazanin released a multilingual album charting hits in Canada, USA and Europe. In 2008 Nazanin was appointed to the board of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to help eliminate racism and discrimination in Canada. In 2011 Nazanin graduated top honors with her Master’s Degree in Diplomacy with a concentration in International Conflict Management at Norwich University in Vermont. In 2016 the University of Western Ontario conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa upon Nazanin.
Nazanin is the recipient of several human rights awards of distinction including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service in Canada and has done speeches at the UN, EU, UK, Canadian Parliament, numerous universities and conferences with media features worldwide.
Nazanin is the author of The Tale of Two Nazanins published in 2012 by Harper Collins and since published in several languages around the world. Nazanin committed half of her royalties from the book to anti-violence against women and children initiatives and programs to empower young girls. The funds were allocated via the board of The Nazanin Foundation registered as a nonprofit charitable organization in 2014 benefiting women and children in Canada and abroad.
Since the spark of the ́Woman Life Freedom’ revolutionary movement in 2022 in Iran Nazanin has been dedicating enormous effort helping echo and advance the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people. This work includes the creation of a network of Iranian diaspora groups and organizing and participating in many national & international campaigns and conferences on freedom & human rights for Iranians. Nazanin is married to Canada’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs. National Defence and Justice Peter MacKay and together they have three children, Kian, Valentia and Caledon.
