Using Resilience to Overcome the (Seemingly) Impossible

I am an author, activist, and inspirational speaker. I was born in Kenya, Africa, and had early training in mathematics, economics & international finance. I have over 35 years of experience as a successful international investment banker. I have conducted business in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. A man always on the go, taking action for societal transformation. I have committed my life to halt the continuing cycle of violence among the youth, I became a social activist after my 20-year-old son Tariq was senselessly murdered while delivering pizzas in January 1995 by Tony Hicks, a 14-year-old gang member. Out of unspeakable grief and despair, I was inspired to transform my loss through the miraculous power of forgiveness. Believing that there were “victims at both ends of the gun,” I forgave Tony and founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to break the cycle of youth violence by saving lives, teaching peace and planting seeds of hope in their future. A month after establishing the foundation, I invited Ples Felix, Tony’s grandfather, and guardian, to join him. Together, since November 1995, we both have brought our story and message through TKF’s Violence Impact Forums. We have reached a half a million elementary and middle school children live and over 20 million via video programs, guiding the youth to choose a peacemaker’s life of non-violence and forgiveness. -Azim Azim Khamisa ▼▼ Please see below for my most recent TED Talk video▼▼