#126 Azim Khamisa, Author - Peace Activist

Dads of Great Students

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4500 schools participating. Azim Khamisa – an author, activist and an international inspirational speaker – was born in Kenya, Africa and had early training in mathematics, economics and finance in the U.K. A successful investment banker with over 40 years of experience, he has conducted business in Africa, Middle East, Canada, USA, Europe and Asia. Presently he serves as the President of the Child Safety Network (CSN). Committing his life to halting the continuing cycle of violence among the youth, Azim became a social activist after his 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 grief and despair, Khamisa was inspired to transform his loss through the power of forgiveness. Believing that there were “victims at both ends of the gun,” Azim forgave Tony and founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to break the cycle of youth violence by saving lives, empowering positive choices and teaching the principles of nonviolence and peacemaking. A month after establishing the foundation, Azim invited Ples Felix, Tony’s grandfather and guardian, to join him. Together, since November 1995, the two have brought their story and message through TKF’s Violence Impact Assemblies. The duo has reached over a million elementary and middle school children live and over 8 million via video programs, guiding the youth to choose a peacemaker’s life of non-violence and forgiveness. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.