Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali is the Executive Director of Arigatou International—Nairobi and Secretary General of the Global Network of Religions for Children. Deeply committed to building peaceful, just, safe, and secure communities, Dr. Ali has founded, developed, and led many innovative programs and initiatives to prevent, transform, and end conflicts and wars in several communities and countries worldwide.
Dr. Ali serves as Co-Chair of the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities (IAFSC), at the United Nations Multifaith Advisory Council (UNMFAC), and on the boards of several global and grassroots development and peacebuilding organizations. In these capacities, Dr. Ali leverages global and grassroots leadership to transform societies from conflictual to harmonious, from insecure to secure, and from unsustainable to sustainable.
Dr. Ali has conceived, designed, and led the implementation of special programs to sustainably and comprehensively address the misuse and manipulation of religion to justify violence and conflicts. He initiated groundbreaking work, including the Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism (BRAVE), Doctrine Revision, Deep Dialogue, and Family Resilience, among others, in addressing the most pressing challenges related to radicalization, violent extremism, terrorism and gang violence in Kenya, the Horn of Africa, and several African countries. He has been actively finding peaceful ways to address conflicts in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Uganda, among other countries.
He is a regular specialist analyst and contributor on peace and security issues on global networks such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cable News Network (CNN), Voice of America (VOA), and China Global Television Network (CGTN), and on local media, including Nation Television (NTV), Kenya Television Network (KTN), Citizen Television, and others.
Dr. Ali has been awarded numerous times for his community, peace, and conflict resolution work. Some of these awards include the Coexist International Peace Prize given to him in New York in 2012 to honor his action-oriented work on conflict transformation in Africa. Former Ireland President Mary Robinson, former Egypt Grand Mufti Sheikh Ali Gomaa, and Rabbi David Rosen voted Dr. Ali to receive this prize , citing ‘his vision and courage in mobilizing faith leaders in transforming difficult and challenging conflicts in many parts of Africa.’ Other awards include the Community Service Award given to him by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Interior by HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al Nahyan; Jasiri Award (Award of Bravery) by the Government of Kenya and Epuka Ugaidi for solid contribution to addressing extremism, terrorism, and gang violence in Kenya; among others.
A much sought-after speaker, thinker, thought leader, and an expert on conflict resolution and analysis by think tanks, universities, as well as the media, Dr. Ali has lectured at many universities and conferences in over 60 countries around the world. He is a regular guest lecturer at the University of Nairobi, National Defense College of the National Defense University – Kenya, where he is often invited to deliver lectures of opportunity on peace and security to visiting senior members of the military, security services, and peace corps from scores of countries around the world.
A PhD, MA, and BSc. Degrees holder in International Relations, Sociology, Diplomacy, and Information Sciences; Dr. Ali is a scholar, an author, and a thought leader, regularly appearing on leading global television channels as a commentator and expert on peace and conflicts, safety, and security. He is the author of the Globalization of Terrorism: From Sicariis, Assassins to ISIS; Globalization and the Media; and Alone and Frightened: Experiential Stories of Former Child Soldiers in Uganda books. He is also an author of the BRAVE, CRAVE, and other manuals and resource guides to address extremism and hate crimes; chapters in many books and conference proceedings on media, diplomacy, conflict, religion, and peace-building.