Yossi Ginsberg

In the midst of the uncharted Amazon, after losing his three companions, one man was tested to the extreme, alone and bare to the bone, for three harrowing weeks of sheer survival against all odds. He lived to tell this amazing story as well as how the ordeal profoundly affected his understanding of himself and his life purpose.

Ten years later Yossi returned to the Amazon and made it his home. Working with indigenous forest dwellers for three years they built Cha-la-lan, a model eco-tourism village that inspired the entire Amazon basin and the world. The following decade of his life he dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of opiate addicts around the world.

A truly cosmopolitan figure and an eternal nomad, Yossi travels the world extensively and unceasingly for work and personal explorations. He was born and raised in Israel serving 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. His book 'Heart of the Amazon' based on his harrowing adventures in South America was first published in 1986 and soon became an international bestseller.

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's contribution to the region won him international acclaim

In 1995 he was recruited to and appointed Vice President of The Centre for Investigation & Treatment of Addiction (CITA). In this capacity, Yossi promoted a new humanitarian approach to treatment of opiate addiction, establishing 12 treatment and research centres around the world from Mexico to China.

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.

Yossi has great interest in conflict resolution from personal through organizational and to global levels. Yossi shares his time between the rainforest of Australia and the east coast of the United States. What would you do if you found yourself lost, alone, and bare to the bone; with no one to lean on; in the worst rainy season in decades; in the most hostile environment on the planet - the Amazon jungle?

Audiences are spellbound gasping for every word; you could hear a needle drop. A riveting storyteller, Yossi's keynote challenges audiences on emotional as well as intellectual grounds. The results are outstanding growth, shift and breakthrough on professional, organizational and personal levels. Invigorating, inspirational and thought-provoking, Yossi's message leaves no audience indifferent. Rich in content, always entertaining, his keynote becomes the talk of the day and motivates people and organizations to: Take positive action towards their goals; Think outside of the box; Never succumb to fear; and Never, despite any circumstances, choose the path of victim.

Yossi speaks from personal experience - in the midst of the uncharted Amazon, after losing his three companions, Yossi was tested to the extreme through three harrowing weeks of sheer survival. He lives to tell the amazing story as well as how the ordeal profoundly affected his understanding of himself and his life purpose. Author of the international bestseller "Heart of the Amazon', (now published as “Jungle”) Yossi is one of the most exciting speakers you are likely to encounter anywhere today. Yossi’s message is bound to touch your heart.

Yossi now travels the planet sharing his universal messages of strength, hope and inspiration.