Nava Ashraf

Nava Ashraf is a young Bahá’í who lives her life in pursuit of excellence. In a special presentation ceremony in February 2003, Ms. Ashraf received the Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which recognized her service to her fellow citizens and the community. The presentation was made at Government House in Victoria, British Columbia, but she was unable to attend because of her commitment to her doctoral studies at Harvard University in the United States.

Ms. Ashraf is also the youngest recipient of the Order of British Columbia, an honour she received in 1995, one year after graduating from high school. However, her and her family’s experiences have not always been joyous. The Ashraf family fled Iran when Nava Ashraf was three years old, after the beginning of the revolution there that, to this day, has oppressed the followers of the Bahá’í Faith.

Bahá’ís in Iran have suffered intimidation, discrimination, violence, and even death, simply because their religious beliefs differ from those held by the authorities. More than 200 Bahá’ís have been killed or executed, and thousands more have been imprisoned, fired from their jobs, or deprived of access to education. All national Bahá’í administrative structures have been banned by the government of Iran, and holy places, shrines, and cemeteries have been confiscated or destroyed. However, in Canada, Ms. Ashraf took full advantage of her freedom to receive an education and serve the community.

At Kelowna Secondary School, she was a tireless volunteer and organizer. Ms. Ashraf formed a peace club that reached out to students across North America to promote global awareness and the elimination of prejudice. After graduating from high school, her passion for peace continued to express itself through volunteer work in rural Africa and Latin America in development projects focusing on agricultural training, health, microfinance, and microenterprise management. She speaks five languages—English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Persian—and received her degree in international studies and economics from Stanford University in California. She completed her doctoral degree in economics at Harvard University in 2005 and is currently a faculty member at Harvard Business school, teaching Impact Evaluation for Non-Profit Organizations and Negotiation.