Justine Hardy

Justine Hardy - Journalist, Writer & Founder of Healing Kashmir

'Her sessions here are a tour de force - intellectual and accessible.'
(Institute of Global Leadership, Tufts University, Boston)

'You made me smell and taste Kashmir again after so long
a thousand thanks...' (Joanna Lumley)

Justine Hardy has been a journalist and commentator for twenty-four years, many of those spent covering South Asia. She is the author of six books including the acclaimed novel 'The Wonder House' which explores the conflict in Kashmir based on her own experience of frontline reporting, and time spent both in militant training camps and amongst religious extremists. Three books, 'In the Valley of Mist', 'Scoop-Wallah' and 'Goat: a story of Kashmir and Notting Hill' have been serialised for BBC Radio 4. She is also a trauma therapist, specializing in conflict trauma.

Justine speaks and lectures regularly worldwide and tailors her talks for clients with sensitivity, intelligence and passion on subjects such as: global leadership, resilience, conflict trauma, conflict mediation, health and wellbeing.

Justine Hardy also writes for The Financial Times, The Times, and Condé Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair and Condé Nast Traveler. She also writes for The Times of India, and a wide range of other publications in India, the UK and US.

As a documentary maker and presenter she started at Channel 4 in 1996 on BAFTA-nominated series Urban Jungle. She has worked on several BBC strands in India for both BBC and BBC World. Justine was a presenter on Travel TV for four years. She was a co-presenter with Jerry Hall on a series about Eastern philosophy's journey West for BBC.

Justine is Director of the Delhi-based Development Research and Action Group, an NGO that sets up schools in impoverished areas. Having completed her training in conflict trauma therapy across a fifteen year period, Justine founded Healing Kashmir in 2008, an integrated mental health project addressing the debilitating mental health situation in the region. This project is now expanding rapidly, with a main health centre, outreach programmes, a suicide helpline, and a leadership programme. While training in mental health Justine worked with New Bridge in the UK for twenty-two years, a foundation working on the rehabilitation of life sentence prisoners before release.

Justine is available for speaking engagements worldwide and she tailors each presentation to suit the client's brief. Recent talks have included events at The Oslo Freedom Forum, New York University (Gallatin School), The Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University and SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, London).

'Justine is a gifted communicator, speaking with compassion, humility and immense knowledge, she gives a voice to the voiceless, painting a poignant image of Kashmir that broadly applies to all who are suffering in conflict regions. With intelligence, confidence, and infectious passion, Justine captivates her audience, illuminating the challenges faced by different cultures around the world and highlighting our humanity, reminding us not to abandon each other.' Oslo Freedom Forum

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