https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Cara_Elizabeth_Yar_KhanCara Elizabeth Yar Khan - Revision history2026-10-29T13:41:25ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cara_Elizabeth_Yar_Khan&diff=492878&oldid=prevMellissaFortier: done.2025-11-27T19:15:53Z<p>done.</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian disability advocate}}<br />
{{Cleanup-PR|1=article|date=July 2022}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Cara Yar Khan<br />
| image = Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan MFF24 BodiesInMotion Coury (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = Yar Khan at the [[Montclair Film Festival]] in 2024<br />
| birth_place = Hyderabad, India<br />
| education = [[University of Guelph]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Johns Hopkins University]] ([[Master of Public Policy|MPP]])<br />
| website = {{URL|https://www.carayarkhan.com/}}<br />
}}<br />
'''Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan''' is a [[disability advocate]], public speaker and United Nations humanitarian.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=Emma |date=2018-05-30 |title=Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/women-making-a-mark/cara-elizabeth-yar-khan/ |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Atlanta Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-27 |title=‘The balance between courage and fear is where the magic lies’ |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-positive/cara-e-yar-khan-courage-fear-inspiring-video-monday-motivation-6236442/ |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><br />
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Yar Khan was born in [[Hyderabad]], [[India]] to an Indian father and English mother, and was raised in Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan |url=https://www.purposepossible.com/cara-elizabeth-yar-khan |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Purpose Possible |language=en-US}}</ref> <br />
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Her interest in humanitarianism began while watching a telethon to raise money for children in Africa, when she was six years old.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Monsy |first=Karen Ann |title='I've found purpose because of my disability' |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/lifestyle/ive-found-purpose-because-of-my-disability |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Khaleej Times |language=en}}</ref><br />
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== Education and career ==<br />
Yar Khan studied at the [[University of Guelph]], earning a B.A. in international development, before attending [[Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies]] in Italy.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Creating champions for disability inclusion tonight at Berry College |url=https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/lifestyles/creating-champions-for-disability-inclusion-tonight-at-berry-college/article_6311e27a-19c0-11e9-b9e8-bb2db636e259.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Northwest Georgia News |language=en}}</ref> After graduating college, earning her master's in public policy, she travelled in 2001 with the [[United Nations]] World Food Programme to [[Ecuador]] to begin her career as a humanitarian.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Cara E. Yar |title=Cara E. Yar Khan {{!}} Speaker {{!}} TED |url=https://www.ted.com/speakers/cara_e_yar_khan |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=www.ted.com |language=en}}</ref> For 15 years she worked in different humanitarian roles in 10 different countries, including work as a fundraising officer and child protection specialist for [[UNICEF]].<ref name=":1" /><br />
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In 2007, at age 30, Yar Khan was diagnosed with the rare muscle-wasting disease [[hereditary inclusion body myopathy]]. While at first she hid her diagnosis, fearing people would begin to doubt her capabilities, she began to open up as the disease progressed.<ref name=":0" /> She was advised to quit her career to go home and move in with her parents upon her diagnosis, but instead continued working, travelling to [[Angola]] with UNICEF.<ref name=":1" /> The next year, when Yar Khan travelled to China as member of the [[2008 Sichuan earthquake]] emergency response, she needed the use of a leg brace. Two years later, in 2010, she used two canes and two leg braces on a humanitarian trip to [[Haiti]] in response to the earthquake.<ref name=":1" /><br />
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Currently, Yar Khan works at the International Human Trafficking Institute, part of the [[National Center for Civil and Human Rights]] in [[Atlanta]].<ref name=":3" /><br />
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In 2019, she gave a [[TED Talk]] discussing the importance of courage and fear coexisting together.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=The beautiful balance between courage and fear |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/cara_e_yar_khan_the_beautiful_balance_between_courage_and_fear |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=TED}}</ref><br />
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== Achievements and awards ==<br />
Yar Khan began horseback riding in 2014, and was recognized as the [[Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship]] International's 2015 Adult Equestrian of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Path Intl. Keynote And Awards Luncheon |url=http://www.omagdigital.com/article/Path+Intl.+Keynote+And+Awards+Luncheon/2825221/421155/article.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=www.omagdigital.com |language=en-US}}{{dead link|date=November 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> To demonstrate two common themes from her public speaking career, courage and fear, Yar Khan embarked on a 12-day trip at the [[Grand Canyon]], including four days spent descending the area on horseback and another eight days [[white water rafting]] in the [[Colorado River]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wayfinders: Notes from Session 6 of TEDWomen 2019 {{!}} TED Blog |url=https://blog.ted.com/wayfinders-notes-from-session-6-of-tedwomen-2019/ |access-date=2022-06-29 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><br />
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In 2015, she was given the Driving Force Award by [[Porsche]] North America and the [[National Center for Civil and Human Rights]], for her activism and community engagement.<ref name=":2" /><br />
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''[[Atlanta (magazine)|Atlanta]]'' magazine named Yar Khan as one of their Women Making A Mark, in 2018.<ref name=":0" /> That same year, she was honored with an Outstanding Voice Award from the ''[[Atlanta Business Chronicle]]'' for advancing equality in the business community in Atlanta.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chastain |first=Bill |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Three advocates in metro Atlanta speak out for diverse groups |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2018/11/19/three-advocates-in-metro-atlanta-speak-out-for.html |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=Atlanta Business Chronicle}}</ref><br />
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As of July 2022, a documentary about Yar Khan, called ''Her Inescapable Brave Mission'', created with filmmaker [[Sam Pollard (filmmaker)|Sam Pollard]] and executive producer Brenda Robinson, was in the works.<ref name=":3" /><br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[List of disability rights activists]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yar Khan, Cara Elizabeth}}<br />
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[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]</div>MellissaFortier