Printable Biography of Yossi Ghinsberg

He was born and raised in Israel and served three years in the Israeli navy on the Red Sea where he befriended the Bedouins of the Sinai Desert who greatly influenced him with their wholesome philosophy and nomadic lifestyle.

Yossi graduated from Tel Aviv University with Philosophy and Business degrees, followed by a comprehensive study of the 'Kabala' in academic as well as authentic environments. A truth seeker by an inner calling, Yossi continuously studied religions and philosophy including the ancients, the classics, the Eastern and the Contemporary.

His first book 'Jungle' based on his harrowing adventures in South America was first published in 1986 and soon became an international bestseller. The Discovery Channel has now released a documentary film based on the book.

In 1992, Yossi returned to the Amazon to initiate 'The Chalalan Project', demonstrating that the best strategy to conserve pristine rainforest is sustainable development in cooperation with indigenous inhabitants rather than mere conservation. Yossi promoted recognition of intellectual properties for indigenous people and his contribution to the region won him international acclaim.

In 1995 he was appointed Vice President of The Center for Investigation & Treatment of Addiction (CITA). In this capacity, Yossi promoted a new humanitarian approach to the treatment of opiate addiction, establishing 12 treatment and research centers around the world from Mexico to China and finally establishing and managing his own clinics in Australia where he also launched the ‘Alma Libre’ initiative to educate society about opiate addiction and promote reintegration of rehabilitated patients.

Yossi has great interest in conflict resolution from personal through organizational and global levels. In 2001 during the peak of the Palestinian ‘intifada’, Yossi was invited to return to Israel to produce a reconciliation festival. Despite the escalation of violence in the region, the festival managed to attract spiritual leaders of Judaism and Islam as well as unprecedented audiences.

His new book 'The Laws of the Jungle' has recently been published in the US.

He is married to Belinda and father to three girls, Mia, Cayam and Nissim (Simi).

He shares his time between ‘Quandong’, his home in the heart of an Australian rainforest and the rest of the world.

Speech Topics

• The Power to Survive
After a tragic separation from friends, Yossi Ghinsberg was left alone in the Amazon jungle for two weeks without food or weapons and in the middle of an epic rainy season. Through this amazing experience, he takes his audiences on an emotional experience of inner strength and self-discovery. Besides the sheer excitement in this presentation, Ghinsberg leaves audiences knowing that they can conquer obstacles and adversity, choosing whether or not they want to be victims of their own circumstances.

• Sailing the Seas of Change
A master storyteller, Ghinsberg's keynote on change is not a lecture but a journey. He takes audiences away from their mundane reality and far above their judgmental minds, allowing access to new perspectives and reelections.

• Laws of the Jungle
The only species that separates and alienates itself from nature is our own. In this keynote, Ghinsberg asks his audiences to see the "big picture" and remember our birthright to feel like a part of the planet and our universe. He brings the natural world to life, and relates it to the audiences in a fascinating, inspiring way.