Peace News Expert Network

Abdulrazaq O Hamzat is Executive Director of Foundation for Peace Professionals (FPP), producer of the Nigeria Peace Index (NPI).

Alejandra Solarte has vast experience in formulation, implementation, execution and monitoring of plans, programs for social projects. She has worked with state entities, international cooperation, NGOs and civil society organizations. She has centered her work in facilitating organizational processes with methodologies of community participation and social dialogue. She has a Sociology degree from Universidad de Nariño. She also holds a masters degree in Sciences in Rural Sociology from Universidad Autónoma Chapingo in Mexico. She has always been interested in learning the best way to build peace by generating autonomy within communities.

Alexandre Marc is the Chief Technical Specialist in the World Bank’s Fragility, Conflict and Violence thematic group.

Almahdi “Aldean” Alonto serves as the Director of the International Affairs and Linkage Office at Mindanao State University’s main campus. He is a committed peacebuilding scholar-practitioner with over twenty years of experience in conflict resolution and post-conflict recovery. As a Chevening Scholar, he earned an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from the University of Bradford’s renowned Peace Department, as well as an M.A. in Asian Studies and a B.A. in History from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He is recognized for his expertise in Bangsamoro history and conflict resolution, and he has contributed significantly through his research and publications. Additionally, he teaches in the MA Peace and Development Studies program and the History Department as a faculty member. 

Ami Carpenter is an Associate Professor at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego.

Amélie Godefroidt (PhD) is a political scientist whose research sits at the intersection of Political Communication and Conflict Studies. She investigates how political violence and nonviolent contention influence public opinion and political behavior, employing quantitative and mixed-method designs to uncover the mechanisms behind these shifts. Her work is cross-national in scope, with fieldwork and case studies spanning Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Nigeria, Belgium, and the United States. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Research on Peace and Development (KU Leuven) and an incoming Assistant Professor in Conflict Management at IESEG School of Management.

Dr Andrea Warnecke is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for History and International
Studies at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Her principal areas of expertise include
international governmental and non-governmental organizations, peacebuilding,
humanitarianism, and crisis governance with a particular focus on institutional knowledge
practices and legitimacy. Andrea’s research is informed by more than eight years of
experience as a Senior Researcher and Consultant in international organizations, NGOs, and
on behalf of government agencies. She holds a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from the
European University Institute (EUI) and an MA in History from the University of Bochum.
Her work has appeared in International Peacekeeping, the Journal of Intervention and
Statebuilding, and the International Journal of Peace Studies. From 2018 to 2020, she was a
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth
University.
Website: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/andrea-warnecke#tab-1
Email: a.u.warnecke@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Andrei Gómez-Suárezis Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Religion, Reconciliation and Peace at the University of Winchester. He is the co-founder of Rodeemos el Diálogo (ReD, Embrace Dialogue), He is also an Associated Researcher in the Department of Latin American, Hispanic and Portuguese studies at Bristol University and senior consultant of Positive Negatives. He is the author ofGenocide, Geopolitics, and Transnational Networks(Routledge, 2015), El Triunfo del No(Ícono, 2016), producer of La Confianza, and writer and producer of Jessica: Coca, Stigmatization, Violence and Development in Colombiaand Colombia’s Broken Peace(Positive Negatives, 2020, 2022).

Andy Carl is an experienced peacebuilding practitioner. He helped establish International Alert and co-founded Conciliation Resources.

Angela J. Lederach (she/her/hers) is Assistant Professor of Peace and Justice Studies at Chapman University. She is the author ofFeel the Grass Grow: Ecologies of Slow Peace in Colombia(Stanford University Press 2023) and co-author ofWhen Blood and Bones Cry Out: Journeys Through the Soundscape of Healing and Reconciliation(Oxford University Press 2010). As a cultural anthropologist and peace studies scholar-practitioner, Lederach has worked on peacebuilding and restorative justice processes in Sierra Leone, Philippines, Colombia, and the United States.

Anna Giulla is a young professional with a background in policy, advocacy, and international partnerships. Holding a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a master’s degree in Development Studies, she has cultivated a deep understanding of global issues, particularly in the areas of conflict analysis, peace processes, and social inclusion. Anna is passionate about peacebuilding and is dedicated to working toward the reduction of inequalities and the promotion of human rights. Her academic and professional journey has been marked by a focused interest in addressing the root causes of violence and fostering sustainable peace. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with various stakeholders across the development and humanitarian sectors, advocating for inclusive policies that promote social justice and equality. 

Anđela Đorđević is a Ph.D candidate and research assistant at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Defense Studies, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia). She is focused on research in post-conflict societies of the Western Balkans.

She was engaged in the project "Anxieties in Cities of Southeast European Post-Conflict Societies: Introducing an Integrative Approach to Peacebuilding (Anxious Peace)" led by Associate Professor Dr. Rok Zupančič. Within that project, she conducted research with colleagues in the following post-conflict places: Kamenica (Kosovo), Baljvine (Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Gorski Kotar (Croatia).

Areej Elahi is a communications intern at PeaceTech Lab and  is currently pursuing an MBA and an M.A. International Affairs at George Washington University.

DSc in Political Science, Professor, Head of Department of Applied Sociology, Faculty of Sociology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia, atanesyan@ysu.am

Dr. Ashley South has 20 years of experience as an independent author, researcher and consultant. He has a Ph.D. from the Australian National University, an MSc from SOAS (University of London), and is a Research Fellow at Chiang Mai University. His main research interests are: ethnic conflict and peace processes in Burma/Myanmar and Mindanao; forced migration (refugees and internally displaced people); politics of language and education; climate change (mitigation, adaptation and resilience).

Most of Ashley’s publications are available at his website: www.AshleySouth.co.uk

Atif Rizvi has worked for over two decades in strategic planning in tertiary education and institution building. He was educated at Harvard University and worked as a Senior Researcher in Education at the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID). At HIID, he was also the Assistant Editor of The Forum, a joint Harvard-USAID publication dedicated to advancing basic education and literacy.

Atif was the Executive Director of the Global Matriculation Initiative (GMI) at the Worldpaper in Boston from 1996 - 1998. Following, he was a consultant for the UNESCO and World Bank Task Force on Higher Education and Society. Between 2002 - 2008, Atif was the Executive Secretary of the UNEP Sasakawa Endowment and the Prize for the Environment. He has also held positions at UNICEF, UNESCO, and the United Nations Secretariat in New York. Mr. Rizvi has worked on achievement assessment, educational access and equity, and basic education delivery in a number of conflict-affected areas.

Ayesha Jehangiris a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the Centre for Media Transition at the University of Technology Sydney. She completed her PhD in war, conflict, and peace journalism in September 2021 from the School of the Arts, English and Media at the University of Wollongong, where she was awarded Examiners' Commendation for Outstanding Thesis. Ayesha’s research explores the mediation of human suffering and social justice from war and conflict zones, particularly focusing on peace journalism, the refugee voice, digital self-representation, and digital borders. Ayesha is the author of Afghan Refugees, Pakistani Media and the State: The Missing Peace (Routledge, 2024). She is the inaugural Peace Fellow of the International Association of Media and Communication Research (2024-2026); a Fredrich-Ebert-Stiftung Fellow of War and Peace Journalism (Afghanistan); and an FES-Deutsche Welle Fellow of Online Journalism (Germany). She also serves as an elected co-secretary of the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia. Before joining academia, Ayesha worked as a journalist in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Germany, and Australia.

Ayse Bala Akal is a research assistant at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and holds an MA (2020) in International Criminal and Humanitarian Law from the University of Oslo

Baba Ba holds a PhD in Geography and is currently a Postdoctoral Scientist at the
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), based in Dakar, Senegal. His work
focuses on pastoral systems and natural resource governance in West Africa and
the Sahel, with particular attention to rangeland governance, livestock mobility,
farmer–herder relations, and community-based approaches to conflict prevention
and peacebuilding.

His research draws on qualitative and participatory methods to examine how local
institutions and co-designed governance tools can strengthen social cohesion,
restore ecosystems, and support inclusive governance in fragile contexts. He also
works on land tenure issues, decentralization processes, and the management of
multifunctional landscapes.

Baba Ba has led and contributed to several regional projects in Mali and Senegal,
working closely with local communities, territorial authorities, technical services,
NGOs, and regional organizations. Through his work, he seeks to strengthen the
links between research and action by producing policy-relevant evidence and
supporting locally grounded solutions to resource-related conflicts, climate change
impacts, and livelihood insecurity.

Beatrix Geaghan-Breiner is a Research Assistant at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She recently graduated from Columbia University, where she studied the history of U.S. foreign policy.

Beltina Gjeloshi is an international PhD candidate at the intersection of social psychology and conflict resolution at George Mason University. Her research focuses on the functions of socio-psychological and emotional dynamics of conflict and reconciliation practices.

Berit Bliesemann de Guevara is a professor of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, UK, and the co-lead of the (Un-)Stitching Gazes / (Des)tejiendo Miradas project. For further information, see: https://research.aber.ac.uk/en/persons/berit-bliesemann-de-guevara

Dr. Bianca Rochelle Parry is a Social Psychology Lecturer at the Social Research Institute at the University College London (UCL) and a Research Associate at the Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA) at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. As a National Research Foundation (NRF) rated researcher, she has published widely on the lived experiences of marginalised and vulnerable communities in South African society, with a specific concentration on women and gender. Her research has been recognised with a Special Commendation from the British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women and Equalities Section. In addition, her research findings have been broadcast by the local media via radio, television, podcast, and news articles, garnering much public interest.

Brooke Coeis an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Oklahoma State University (USA). Her work compares regional law and organisations in the global South, and she is the author ofSovereignty in the South: Intrusive Regionalism in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia(CUP 2019).

Cahyo Pamungkas is a researcher atthe National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BRIN). His research focuses on Melanesian studies and minority rights, particularly in relation to conflict, peace and development. His writings have been published by Pallgrave MacMillan, Springer,Suvannabhumi, Asian Journal of Peace Building,Journal of Peace and Development, Pacific Affairs, Indonesia and the Malay World, Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, and Journal of Intercultural Communication. Cahyo can be reached via email:cahy009@brin.go.id. His orchid number ishttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0299-127X 

Caleb Gichuhi is a senior specialist at PeaceTech Lab Africa, where he works on Sawa Shabab and other media and tech programs.

Camilo Tamayo Gómezis aSenior Lecturer at the University of Huddersfield (UK). He is a Senior Adviser in Transitional Justice for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Castor Mfugale is a lecturer of Ethics at the Catholic University of Mbeya (CUoM), with
extensive research on peacebuilding in its multiple facets, including conflict resolution,
governance, and youth engagement. He is also Content Coordinator for the project Together for
a New Africa (T4NA), an initiative active in over 14 African countries that empowers youth
through innovative approaches to contextual peace and leadership. (Catholic University of
Mbeya).

His work focuses on indigenous and locally grounded peace approaches, particularly Ubuntu, examining how African ethical frameworks can complement or outperform conventional Western peace models in addressing conflicts across the continent. Drawing on participatory research, field engagement, and interdisciplinary analysis, Castor develops practical strategies that foster reconciliation, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

Through T4NA and his academic work, he mentors youth and community leaders, equipping
them with the skills, ethical grounding, and mindset to act as proactive peacebuilders. Castor’s
scholarship bridges theory and practice, offering actionable insights for policymakers,
development actors, and peace practitioners, emphasizing that lasting peace is rooted in local
realities, collective responsibility, and inclusive dialogue.

Catherine Vanner is an Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations at the University of Windsor. Her research uses qualitative and participatory methods to examine the relationship between gender, violence, and education in North American and Sub-Saharan African contexts. Her current research analyzes teacher and student experiences on education about gender-based violence in Canada and is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She has worked as Postdoctoral Fellow at McGill University and as Education Advisor for Plan International Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency (now Global Affairs Canada). She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Ottawa and a M.A. in International Affairs from Carleton University.

Cecile Pentori is the South Asia Program Coordinator for Conciliation Resources. She has worked with UNDP, UNIFEM and holds a Master degree in IR.