Nazanin Afshin-Jam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nazanin Afshin-Jam
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| نازنین افشین جم | |
Afshin-Jam at the arrival of Prince Charles in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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| Born | April 11, 1979 |
| Alma mater | University of British Columbia (B.A.) |
| Title | Miss World Canada 2003 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
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Nazanin Afshin-Jam (born April 11, 1979) is an Iranian-Canadian human rights activist, author, and public speaker. This means she works to protect the basic rights and freedoms of people around the world.
She is famous for winning the Miss World Canada beauty pageant in 2003. She is also the president and co-founder of an organization called Stop Child Executions. She started another group called The Nazanin Foundation to help women and children.
Afshin-Jam moved to Canada with her family in 1981. She is married to Peter MacKay, who was once Canada's Minister of Justice.
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Early life and moving to Canada
Nazanin Afshin-Jam was born in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Her father managed a large hotel there. During the Iranian Revolution, a time of major political change in Iran, her father was put in jail.
After he was released, the family left Iran and moved to Spain. A year later, they moved to Vancouver, Canada, where Nazanin grew up.
Education and helping others
Afshin-Jam studied international relations and political science at the University of British Columbia. She later earned a Master's degree in Diplomacy from Norwich University. She also has an honorary doctorate of law, which is a special award given for her important work.
After university, she worked with the Red Cross as a Global Youth Educator. She taught young people about important world issues like land mines, the effects of war on children, and poverty.
Miss World competition
In 2003, Afshin-Jam won the title of Miss World Canada. She then went on to represent Canada in the Miss World 2003 competition in China. She did very well and was the first runner-up, meaning she came in second place out of all the contestants from around the world.
Fighting for human rights
A big part of Nazanin's life is her work as an activist. She is known for standing up for people whose rights are in danger.
Saving Nazanin Fatehi
Afshin-Jam learned about an 18-year-old Iranian girl named Nazanin Fatehi. In 2005, Fatehi was sentenced to death in Iran after she defended herself and her young niece from an attack by three men.
Afshin-Jam started a campaign to save her. She created a petition, which is a request signed by many people, and got over 350,000 signatures from all over the world. She even wrote a song called Someday for Nazanin Fatehi.
Because of this international attention, Fatehi was given a new trial. Afshin-Jam raised $43,000 online to help with her legal costs. In 2007, Nazanin Fatehi was found not guilty and was set free. For her work, Afshin-Jam received the Hero for Human Rights Award.
In 2012, she co-wrote a book called The Tale of Two Nazanins. The book tells the story of how her life and Nazanin Fatehi's life crossed paths.
Stop Child Executions campaign
Afshin-Jam started the Stop Child Executions Campaign to help children who were sentenced to death. In 2008, it became an official non-profit organization. As the president, she works to end the execution of minors in Iran and other countries.
Awards and recognition
Afshin-Jam has received many awards for her human rights work.
- In 2008, she organized a protest in New York City across from the United Nations to bring attention to human rights issues in Iran.
- She received the Global Citizenship Award from the University of British Columbia.
- In 2009, she was given the Human Rights Hero Award from UN Watch, an organization that monitors the United Nations.
- She received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
- In 2016, she was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario.
Creative work
Besides her activism, Afshin-Jam has also been involved in film and music.
Movies and documentaries
She was part of a documentary film called Honor Diaries. The film talks about the unfair treatment of women and girls in some societies.
She also had a fun role in the movie Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. In a scene involving magic potions, her body was used for the character of Shaggy, with the actor's face added using computers.
Music career
Afshin-Jam released her first music album, Someday, in 2007. Her songs have been popular, with several making it onto music charts.
- Her song "I Dance 4 U" was a Top 30 club hit.
- Her single "Someday" reached #7 on a Top 40 chart in the United States.
- Another song, "I Do," reached #39 on a Billboard chart.
She also released a Christmas song called "On Christmas Day." The money raised from this song was given to her Stop Child Executions Campaign.
Personal life
Afshin-Jam is a licensed pilot and can fly both airplanes and gliders. She was also a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, where she reached the highest rank.
On January 4, 2012, she married Peter MacKay in a private ceremony in Mexico. They have three children: a son named Kian (born in 2013), a daughter named Valentia (born in 2015), and another son named Caledon (born in 2018).
