Ji-li Jiang was born in Shanghai, China in 1954 and is the author of Red Scarf Girl, an autobiography in which she wrote about her hard childhood.
At the age of twelve, Ji-li and her family experienced the darkest time in Chinese modern history – the Cultural Revolution. In her presentation, not only she shares her personal story with us, but vividly displays a national disaster that could make each of us think: Why and how would this happen? How can we prevent it from happening again? Her presentation has been described as powerful, inspiring, and informative.

For over twenty years, Ji-li Jiang nursed her childhood memories of surviving the Cultural Revolution in China, and finally brought them to life in her first book, Red Scarf Girl. Since its publication in 1997, Ji-li has been invited to speak at hundreds of schools and conferences. In 1992, she co-founded East West Exchange, a company that promotes and facilitates cultural and business exchanges between China and western countries. In 2003, she started a nonprofit organization, Cultural Exchange International to continue and expand the cultural exchanges she believes in.

Besides writing, Ji-li continues to speak at schools and conferences about her books and native China. She also devotes time to various cultural exchange programs, including leading cultural trips to China for large groups. She believes that a better understanding among people around the world is the only route to global peace.