Mayyu Ali is a Rohingya-Canadian poet and the author of Exodus, The White Elephant, and Eradication. His op-eds have appeared in major international outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, The Guardian, The Independent, CNN, and Policy Options. He is also the co-founder and editor of Art Garden Rohingya, an initiative dedicated to nurturing and amplifying a new generation of Rohingya writers and artists.
With over a decade of professional experience, Mayyu Ali has worked extensively with vulnerable and marginalized communities affected by conflict and displacement. In Myanmar, he served as a Nutrition Officer before working as a Specialized Translator and Data Analyst in the Mental Health and Care Practices Program with Action Contre la Faim (ACF), contributing to efforts to combat malnutrition in Northern Rakhine State.
After fleeing violence in 2017, he continued his human rights work in Bangladesh with Amnesty International and Fortify Rights, where he documented abuses against the Rohingya population. In 2020, he directed the Rohingya Language Preservation Project at the Community Rebuilding Centre, researching cultural oppression targeting Rohingya language and identity in Myanmar. In 2022, he authored the report “First They Targeted Our Culture and Language.” His work also includes leading initiatives focused on youth education, empowerment, social harmony, and peacebuilding across diverse Burmese ethnic communities.
In 2024, he earned a Master of Arts in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo. He currently resides in Ottawa.