Abdul Basit Amal (Afghanistan)

Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, Abdul Basit Amal is a medical doctor and served as the provincial founder at the Youths Association of Afghanistan, the largest youth organization in Afghanistan working for peace, education, justice and gender equity. Abdul also serves as the provincial lead for youth at the Afghanistan Medical Association, the largest health nongovernmental organization in Afghanistan, which works to provide better health services for all Afghans. Abdul has also volunteered for Green Crescent Afghanistan, an organization that works to eradicate addiction in Afghanistan. Abdul maintains a personal blog about his work. 

Mohammed Arous (Tunisia)

Arous is a Senior capacity building expert, a versatile team player with extended experience in evaluations, social development and qualitative research. He has worked with Aleph on several projects including youth, migration and culture. He recently consulted for the World Bank on governance and health projects in Tunisia and Libya. Other clients have included Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), the Middle East partnership initiative, WeWorld GVC (in Tripoli), several youth and migration-related NGOs, the British Council, and the British Embassy’s Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF).

He has 13 years of cumulative experience (countries include Jordan, UK,Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Portugal) on interreligious dialogue, intercultural dialogue, preventing violent extremism, crisis management, scenario planning, change management, research, conflict sensitivity and instability, community development, gender, economic reforms, youth, strategic communication and governance. Mohamed held the title of co-chair of the USIP's global Youth advisory Council between 2021 to 2023. Mr. Arous holds a MA in communications, BA in English studies from the University of Sfax, crisis communication diploma from the UK Cabinet Office and the London's City, Cash and Voucher in Humanitarian Expert title from Kalu Institute and Guilds Institute’s Foundation Program in UK International Policy and Diplomacy.

Dayana Blanco (Bolivia)

Dayana Blanco Quiroga (she/her) is an Indigenous Aymara advocate of women’s rights, Indigenous rights, and environmental justice. She is the founder and main coordinator of the Warmi Shining and Uru Uru projects. The Warmi Shining and Uru Uru projects are part of the NGO Fundación Pueblos de Montaña’s effort to build the capacity of Indigenous girls impacted by climate change and gender-based violence. Girls are empowered through English classes, leadership workshops, and activities that make them more knowledgeable of social justice issues and the ways to tackle them. Warmi Shining teaches Indigenous girls leadership skills that help them overcome obstacles in their personal, academic, and professional lives. Uru Uru creates awareness of environmental justice issues and empowers Indigenous girls to advocate for their rights. Uru Uru generates spaces that encourage debates aimed at finding solutions to climate change issues affecting Indigenous communities. By seeking environmental justice and an end to violence against Indigenous women, Dayana hopes to bring peace and security to Indigenous communities in Bolivia. Dayana has a bachelor’s degree in International Trade from the Technical University of Oruro (an indigenous university in Caracollo). She has participated in the first edition of Young Peace Builders of The United Nations Alliance of Civilization. 

Moti Daba (Ethiopia)

Moti Daba is a practitioner and researcher from Ethiopia. He leads and supports several programs and projects interested in religious leaders’ engagement in the public space, including development, peacebuilding, conflict transformation, preventing violent extremism, and human security. Moti is actively engaged and values collaboration between international and local partners. I participate in Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He has master’s degrees in Global Studies and International Relations, Digital Studies, and Theological Studies from different universities.

Brian Delos Santos (Philippines)

Brian Delos Santos is a Filipino youth peacebuilder from Placer, Masbate, and an alumnus of the Generation Change Fellows Program Philippines. He is one of the youth writers who drafted the Philippine National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (2023-2033) spearheaded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity and the National Youth Commission. 

He represents the Philippines at the Asia Youth Advocacy Team for Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) under the United Network of Young Peacebuilders. He is also the convenor of the Philippine Coalition on YPS. His field of interest is on the nexus of peace/YPS agenda and climate change. He is an FFOP-Duke University Youth Interfaith Leaders Fellow on Climate Change and a Common Purpose 25 Under 25 Global Legacy Awardee for 2023

In 2022, Brian served as a panelist at the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation and United Nations Workshop on Advancing YPS in Laos and led the Climate and Sustainability Group during the ASEAN Young Leaders Programme in Cambodia. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Universidad De Manila and the Paralegal Training Program from the University of the Philippines College of Law. As an emerging leader, Brian thinks beyond the present, beyond oneself, and values the life of others.

Rachel Dibal Simon-Karu (Nigeria)

Rachel Dibal Simon-Karu is an Educator and Social Entrepreneur concerned with conflict prevention and mental health, and addressing sociopolitical problems that are barriers to attaining peace and good mental health. She is a co-founder and president of Leadtots Development Initiative, a nonprofit building capacity of women and youth to participate in leadership and conflict management, with a focuson young women and girls, to promote the achievement of global development goals. 

She holds degrees in Sociology and Social Work and is currently studying for a Master of Public Health. She has worked closely with international organizations like Mercy Corps as a consultant developing critical materials for conflict prevention and advocacy. 

Rachel is an elected member of the Delta and Omega Honorary Society in Public Health: Epsilon Mu and a beneficiary of scholarships from the Nigerian Women Association of Georgia and the Female Support Initiative, a partnership project of the University of Jos and the Carnegie Corporation. She is a member of boards of development organizations, notably the Relief Initiative for Humanitarian Aid, focusing on women and girls, and the Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative working to improve mental health in Nigeria.

Hiba Ikram (Pakistan)

Hiba Ikram is a digital advocacy and campaigning expert with a strong focus on peacebuilding and youth empowerment, having nearly eight years of experience in the development sector. Hiba has conducted several national and international workshops on peacebuilding and has attended numerous training programs worldwide.

Hiba is a Generation Change Fellow of USIP and has facilitated two Generation Change Fellowship Programs for Ethiopian and Philippines cohorts as a trainer and training apprentice, respectively. She has also designed several training manuals and toolkits, including the peace advocacy toolkit, which has been recognized locally and globally.

As a co-founder and director of two non-profit organizations, Hiba has made significant contributions to youth empowerment and peacebuilding. Echo Change is an international platform for youth, while Beydaar Society is a member of the Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and a member of the Global Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development Partners Network by UNESCO Headquarters from 2015-2020.

Hiba's work with the National Youth Coalition for Education and the National Youth Coalition for Peace demonstrates her commitment to advocating for youth education and peacebuilding. Funded by the Open Society Foundations and the United States Institute of Peace, respectively, these initiatives have made a significant impact in promoting peace and youth education in Pakistan.

Hiba's experience in running a creative agency, combined with her background in the development sector, has given her strong expertise in digital advocacy and campaigning. Her dedication to digital advocacy and campaigning, combined with her passion for peacebuilding and youth empowerment, has made her a valuable member of the Youth Advisory Council at the United States Institute of Peace. Her passion for peacebuilding and youth education has been her strength to come this far.

Nyechuol Kuol Jal (South Sudan)

Nyechuol Kuol Jal is an expert on gender and development who currently works with Food for the Hungry International (FHI) as a deputy team leader for Girls Education South Sudan in Jonglei State, South Sudan. In this role, she contributes to gender equality and empowerment of women. The project has successfully lobbied and mobilized several girls to join school. Before joining FHI, Nyechuol worked as the gender-based violence and inclusion officer with the Universal Intervention and Development Organisation as well as the disability inclusion officer with Humanity and Inclusion International. She began her career as a gender based violence and child protection officer. She takes pride in contributing to an enabling and safe environment for women, children, elderly and the most vulnerable. Nyechuol holds a bachelor’s degree in gender and development studies.

Lahoussine Lamdarat (Morocco)

Lahousssine Lamdarat is a journalist, an entrepreneur, the founder of several local and national electronic newspapers, and a member of the central office of the National Union of Young Journalists in Morocco. He also the founder of several civil society associations concerned with the development of youth and sport.His activities have included organizing a national football league for Moroccan and Libyan youth and providing training to youth on civic journalism through various multimedia platforms. Lahoussine serves as a member of the Council of Young Leaders in the Moroccan city of Agadir, working to help other youth understand local governance and advocate for their priorities.

Lahoussine received training in leadership, mediation and conflict resolution for two years with Search for Common Ground in Morocco. Lahoussine has supervised several training sessions for civil society associations in the field of leadership, mediation and journalism, and is currently the secretary general of the Amal Professional Association in Agadir, where he works on a social project aimed at fighting crime and homelessness.

Silvia Miranda (Honduras)

Silvia Miranda Loredo is a Honduran Garifuna woman passionate about Vision Boards, getting to know new cultures and traveling. She comes from a low-income household and during her childhood, she received a scholarship to study at the Franciscan School. Thanks to that scholarship and her exquisite English, she has had many opportunities throughout her life. Now, as a rising law school practitioner in Honduras, she create the Foundation Women with Power “Fundación Mujeres con Poder.” She aspires to inspire other women and through her foundation, which is an education legacy and main purpose is to equip women and young girls from rural backgrounds with financial and indispensable resources to help guide them in their academic journey. She desires to strengthen her Garifuna community through the hard work, tenacity, and innovation that she has received over the years. At the same time, she is a Generation Change Fellow from USIP as well as a SUSI Alumni from the United States Department of State.

Grace Ndirangu (Kenya)

Grace is a Gender, Economic Inclusion, and Peacebuilding professional working with urban refugees in Nairobi. Grace has over 13 years of experience working with urban refugees in Kenya. Grace is passionate about gender, economic empowerment, and migration, and displacement. She is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her research focuses on conflict-related sexual violence. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Arts and Social Sciences; Majoring in Sociology and a Minor in Political Science and an MSc Degree in Governance, Peace, and Security from Africa Nazarene University in Nairobi, Kenya. Grace is a Missing Peace Scholar, a collaboration of USIP, WIIS, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), and the Center for Human Rights, Gender and Migration, the University of Washington in St Louis, Missouri. Grace is also a member of FemWise-Africa, the African Union’s (AU) Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation. She is the USIP 2021-2023 Youth Advisory Council Member for Kenya. She was a USIP 2016 Generation Change fellow and a 2017 Next Generation Fellow at the Women in International Security (WIIS).

Maria Veronica Papa (Philippines)

Veronica/Oni is a Public Policies Researcher from Policy International, an all-women policy group advocating for competition in MSMEs with a focus on the ASEAN region, and a youth rights advocate. Currently, she is the first and only Filipina youth advisor in the Youth Leadership Council at the Global Fund for Children, a global entity that invests in community-based organizations around the world to help children and youth reach their full potential. On the side of political participation, she worked in the Senate of the Philippines for a brief time as part and parcel with her service as the Executive Director at Kilos Ko Youth (KY), a national body of young leaders empowered to organise at the grassroots. KY activates youth civic involvement and participation in local government units by building young Filipinos’ capacity in ground organising, digital organising, and community relations. From 2020-2022, the organisation grew to twenty-five chapters with a presence in all three major islands of the Philippine archipelago, in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and a network of volunteers of just under 1,000 members. Currently, she operates within the networks of national and international socio-civic organisations like the US Institute of Peace, the World Youth Alliance Asia-Pacific, and the International Federation of Liberal Youth.

Leonardo Párraga (Colombia)

Leonardo Párraga is a Colombian activist who believes in the value of systemic change through sustainable peace, increasing community well-being, and building strong networks. Passionate about the arts, alternative development, and constant learning, Leonardo has a wide range of experience in nonviolent resistance.

Since 2013, with the team at the BogotArt Foundation, Leonardo has helped create a more democratic art world, one artwork at a time. Leonardo also co-founded Juventudes Por La Paz, a Spanish-speaking network aimed at building a peaceful environment in Latin America, and the campaign Cartas por la Reconciliación (Letters for Reconciliation) to foster dialogue, understanding, and collaboration between FARC ex-combatants and citizens.

Leonardo is currently a European Commission Youth Sounding Board member, a UNAOC Young Peacebuilders Programme trainer, a Mentor of the Pool of Trainers of the United Network of Young Peacebuilders, and a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations.

Nicholas Songora (Kenya)

Nicholas Songora Odoll is a recognized, philanthropic Kenyan Hero and a progressive change maker with a bias on youth affairs. He is a member to the United States Institute of Peace-USIP’s, Youth Advisory Council. Also National ordinator for AfricanArtists Peace Initiative Kenyan Chapter. Nicholas was recently appointed as the Project Manager for the Zayed Micro-enterprise seed support grant. For over 3 years, he served as a coordinator elect for the civil society network in the Coastal region of Kenya. He is a member of the Mombasa County PCVE engagement forum; Leading the Economic Pillar and Chairs the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee. An active Delegate for the African Union’s Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) Committee. He is a founder and Executive Director of Manyatta Youth Entertainment CBO (MAYE); an Arts for Social Change, not-for-profit, youth-led, organization in the coastal counties of Kenya. The organization aims to provide young people from fragile communities with a viable platform to openly discuss and address issues that affect them and their communities. MAYE has been involved in the areas of peace building and conflict transformation, social accountability, civic engagement, and social justice using creative arts, innovation, and technology as mode of communication.

MAYE addresses issues around gender-based violence, violent extremism, and armed juvenile crime. Nicholas is also the founder of ANIKA Community Media and Songoliz Tv; online audio-visual media platforms managed by young people and amplifying voices of marginalized communities. The platform focuses on sharing the untold stories within the community such as narratives on social accountability and highlighting emerging leaders’ struggles and success stories. He recently founded Anika Community Hub, A youth-friendly, safe space championing arts, culture, and innovation as alternative livelihoods and dispute resolution mechanisms against violence. Nicholas is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, A generation global Change fellow under USIP, A Goldin Global Fellow under the Goldin Institute, and a 2021 accountapreneur under the Accountability Lab.

Roxana Vivas (Venezuela)

Roxana Vivas is a Venezuelan lawyer, feminist activist and president of the non-governmental organization Women Riots. She holds a diploma in gender equity and human rights from the University of "Los Andes" (ULA). She holds a diploma in Public Affairs (public policy) from the Institute of Higher Studies in Administration (IESA), the School of Government of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Ortega-Marañón University Research Institute. During his first years of study, she dedicated herself to volunteering with human rights organizations. Upon graduation, she completed the USIP Generation Change Fellows Program which added a peace perspective to all her activities to this day. For the past 4 years she has been an activist and advocate for women's rights, making visible the violence against women, their sexual and reproductive rights and working for women to become transformative agents of peace.