Peace News Journalist Network

Adriene Cabalinan is a humanitarian worker in Southern Philippines and a peace and development scholar at Notre Dame University (Philippines). She previously worked on research, filmmaking, and the production of numerous national television documentaries.

Gale Dada is multimedia journalist from South Sudan. He has worked as a reporter, radio producer, and photojournalist for several local and international media outlets. He is currently the producer and presenter of Peace Forum program  on Bakhita Radio 91.0 Fm in Juba.

Hanzala Daud is a humanitarian activist from Abbottabad (Pakistan), associated with various local news groups. He previously worked on research and the development of numerous projects related to social welfare. He is a Doctor of Pharmacy from Abbottabad University of Science and Technology (AUST).

John Oryang is a South Sudanese graduate of UMCAT School of Journalism, and is based in Uganda. He has previously worked as a TV news producer and has reported for Thomson Reuters and other broadcasters around the globe.

John Simms is a multi-talented Digital Media Producer with a combined 9+ years of experience. He is well-versed in the creation of a wide range of media content including photography, journalistic writing, short films, documentaries, music videos, marketing videos, fundraising videos, and video scripts.

Kate Roff is the founding editor of Peace News. She has worked for several news agencies and has an MA in Political Science (University of Canterbury), DipEd, and BA in Journalism and Cultural Studies (Curtin University of Technology).

Lea Suter is the founder and peace reporter of PeacePrints and has worked for the think tank foraus (Swiss Forum on Foreign Policy) and for the UN. She holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Transfer Studies between Russia and Europe.

Mahnoz Jonmahmadova is freelance journalist and video editor based in Washington DC, USA.

Masoud Kafah is a freelance journalist from Palestine. He has worked for several news agencies and holds a BA in Political Science and Media (Islamic University of Gaza). He has also lived i the Gaza Strip, where he volunteered for several charity organizations.

Michael Ojok is a multi-channel reporter based in Gulu district (Northern Uganda). He is interested in humanitarian stories, culture, conflict, peace, environment, health and education.

Mohamed Coulibaly worked as a lawyer from 2004-2008 focusing on Business Law. Coulibaly has been working as a writer and Community Manager since 2014. He is also the Vice President of the Youth Association for Civic Education (AJEC).

Mohammed is a multimedia  freelance journalist in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He graduated from the International Institute of Journalism Abuja. In 2016 Mohammed received the Courage in Journalism Award for his investigative reporting, from the Africa Media Development Foundation.

​Mustafa Nader is a photographer from Baghdad. Since 2010,  Mustafa has worked as a reporter, photojournalist, and content director, for several media agencies and is passionate about presenting a different side of his homeland to the world.

Nicholas J Parkinson is a communications manager with Tetra Tech ARD, covering USAID’s land tenure projects in Colombia. He is a former journalist with more than 10 years of experience reporting and writing in Europe, South America, and East and West Africa.

Ochan is a Peace News Network contributor, based in Uganda.  As a freelance journalist, he was forced to leave his native South Sudan for security reasons and has also worked for MiCT’s The Niles.

Olga is a trained journalist and peacebuilding expert in Ukraine. She founded Break The Ice, a hockey-based NGO supporting children displaced by the conflict. Olga has also worked participated in the Global Sports Mentoring Program, and contributed to Peace Insight.

Paul Cochrane is an independent journalist based in Beirut, where he has lived since 2002. He covers the Middle East and Central Asia for specialized publications, business magazines and newspapers. Paul holds a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the American University of Beirut.

John Qais Qasim is an Iraqi TV producer, journalist and daily columnist based in Baghdad. He is a contributor to Arabic and English talk shows and is passionate about Iraqi political analysis.

Ruby Irene Pratka is a US-born, Montreal-based freelance writer and editor. Her work has been published in English and French in Vice Québec, HuffPost Québec, Ricochet, Xtra, Shareable, Canadaland and she holds an MA in Public Communication (Université Laval).

Meet the woman who believes journalism can make the world a better place. Ruth Omar is a journalist and a storyteller from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. After studying journalism and communication studies at Cavendish University Uganda, Ruth engaged in her career by raising people’s voices in her local community and Uganda. In 2019, she won the best technology news story prize at the Interuniversity Media Challenge Uganda. She is a 2020 Media Challenge Fellow. She is a Peace Building fellow from Never Again Rwanda. She has been publishing documentaries produced by different media houses, like BBC World Service, Les Hauts Parleurs and Human Angle, among others. She is a blogger and a voice-over artist. Social media manager and communications specialist from different organizations in Goma/DRC. She is a VOA Stringer and a Radio personality in Goma. She is passionate about telling African stories and changing the African narrative. She speaks French, English, and Kiswahili.

Safiya Songhai is an Emmy-Award winning broadcast journalist and filmmaker based in New York City. She has an MFA in Film and Television Production (New York University) and a BA in Mass Communication from Howard University.

Sarwar Kamal is a Bangladeshi journalist based in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar and Chattogram Hill Tracts (Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari) in Bangladesh. He has been working in the field of journalism since 2015. He has been very passionate about journalism since his early age. He is now a staff correspondent at New Age, a leading Bangladeshi daily, where he covered different issues on environment, business, crime, politics, health, education, culture, Rohingya crisis, climate change, gender, corruption based in in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar and Chattogram Hill Tracts (Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari). Earlier he worked for leading Bangladeshi online news portal and news agency Banglanews24.com. He holds a Bachelor degree and a Master's degree in Journalism and Media Studies with excellent academic results.

Shahbaz Ali is a video editor and animator, having 8 years of experience in this field. He has completed his Masters in Mass Communication from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro. He worked with Pakistan Official News Agency (Associate Press of Pakistan) for 1 year. Also Worked for Radio Pakistan Hyderabad. His goal is to not only to create and edit outstanding content for individuals, brands, agencies, and networks but also to provide his writing/journalism skills.

Tara Abhasakun is a journalist in Bangkok. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.

Teniola Ayoola is a journalism and mass communication student at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.  She has also written for the Washington Informer and interned at the BBC News bureaus in Washington, D.C. and Lagos, Nigeria.

Tia Savarese is a recent graduate of the George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with concentrations in Conflict Resolution and Security Policy and a minor in Spanish. She serves as the Commissioning Editor and Social Media Manager for Peace News Network while residing in Washington, DC. Before joining PNN, she interned for a communication firm, a think tank, and the federal government.