Policy and Communications
Robert Parker – Director of Policy and Communications
Robert joined Saferworld in 2006 and is the Director of Saferworld’s Policy and Communications team. He has extensive experience on security and arms-related issues having previously worked as a Geneva-based arms policy advisor for Oxfam, Campaign Manager on the arms and security trade at Amnesty International UK and having done consultancy work for various organisations including Landmine Action and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining. Robert has experience in giving interviews to radio, television and print media on a range of issues including arms transfer controls, policing and strategic campaigning. He has a post-graduate degree from the Institute of Latin American Studies. In addition to English, Rob is fluent in Spanish and French.
Katrina Aitken – Conflict and Security Adviser
Katrina is a Conflict and Security Adviser with Saferworld, where she focuses particularly on issues related to community security, access to justice, including informal justice systems, and state-building. Katrina’s previous experience includes work with grassroots civil society organisations, local governments and international donor governments in fragile and conflict-affected environments. Most recently, Katrina worked in Afghanistan to strengthen national and sub-national governance systems to be responsive to the security and development concerns of local citizens. This has included experience strengthening and scaling up innovative community-based approaches to conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction. Katrina has an MSc in the Political Economy of Violence, Conflict and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She also has a BA in African Studies and Human Services from the George Washington University. A native-English speaker, she speaks Spanish and Dari.
Larry Attree – Conflict Prevention Adviser
Larry is a specialist in conflict prevention, arms control & violence reduction, reintegration of ex-combatants, security and justice sector development, and conflict-sensitivity. With experience in Saferworld’s Europe, Asia and Conflict & Security teams, he has managed and contributed to a variety of projects on these themes. His experience includes project management, advocacy, capacity building and published research and policy documents on a wide variety of themes, including: children and armed conflict, small arms control and disarmament, reintegration of youth and children, security and justice sector development, arms transfer controls and conflict sensitivity (including conflict analysis and evaluation). Prior to taking up his post at Saferworld, Larry worked on security and development with a variety of UN and other international agencies, NGOs and the corporate sector in Europe, the Pacific, Asia and Africa. He has a working knowledge of French and speaks basic Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian. Larry holds Masters degrees in Social and Political Thought and English Literature and Classics.
Sébastien Babaud – EU Advocacy Coordinator
Sébastien joined Saferworld in 2008 and co-ordinates Saferworld’s engagement with the European institutions in our Brussels Office. In this capacity, he has authored reports, papers and briefings relating to European Union policies and practices in the areas of peace and security. Sébastien has been working on peace and conflict issues since 1999: supporting intercultural dialogue in the Balkans for a French NGO (Transeuropéennes), conducting research on post-conflict intervention for a French public institution (Haut Conseil de la Cooperation Internationale), and advocating for policy changes within French NGOs and political parties (CCFD, Comité ICP, Les Verts). Sébastien speaks French, Dutch and English.
Ivan Campbell – Senior Adviser on Conflict and Security
With over 15 years experience of conflict prevention and peace-building, Ivan Campbell is currently Senior Advisor on Conflict and Security at Saferworld. The majority of Ivan’s experience has been in Africa, where he managed International Alert’s Programme in the Great Lakes region (2000 – 2005), and subsequently as Head of Saferworld’s Programme in Africa, including Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda (2005 – 2009). In his current advisory role Ivan is supporting Saferworld’s work in Georgia, Sri Lanka and Nepal, with a focus upon promoting dialogue processes and conflict-sensitive development. Ivan is also leading the development of Saferworld’s work on the linkages between climate change, security and conflict, and co-authored the report on ‘Climate change and conflict in Kenya’. Ivan holds an MA in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia, and a BA from Oxford University.
Tom Donnelly – Conflict and Security Adviser
Tom Donnelly is a Conflict and Security Adviser in Saferworld’s policy team. Previously he was Saferworld’s UK Advocacy Coordinator during which time he worked on UK conflict prevention policy and co-chaired the Bond ‘Conflict Policy Group’ looking at the role of UK development assistance in promoting security and justice for marginalised and vulnerable people. Tom has been with Saferworld since 2007 having previously worked on international security issues with the Oxford Research Group and Iraq Body Count. Tom also spent three years working in homelessness. He has written numerous articles on arms, conflict, security and development issues for the print media. Tom holds an MA in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford.
Simon Gray – Head of Advocacy and Communications
Simon joined Saferworld in June 2009 and is responsible for the management of our engagement with UK, EU and other international institutions. Previously Simon worked at Oxfam International as Humanitarian Policy Adviser and as Conventional Arms Policy Lead for Oxfam GB. Simon has extensive advocacy experience on arms and development issues, and led Oxfam’s engagement with the Arms Trade Treaty and UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons processes for over 4 years. In that time Simon authored numerous policy briefings and articles as well as representing Oxfam International as media spokesperson on arms control and humanitarian response issues. Previous to this Simon worked in campaign management for a number of years, co-ordinating international civil society campaigns and building the capacity of staff and partners in strategic campaigning.
Duncan Hiscock – Head of Policy
Duncan is Head of the Policy Team. He has previously worked at Saferworld as Security and Justice Sector Development Adviser, Caucasus Programme Coordinator and as a Lead Researcher for the Asia Programme. He has authored over twenty publications on security and justice reforms, human security, arms control and civil society engagement in the security sector. His current areas of focus include monitoring and evaluation of security and justice programming, community security processes, and post-conflict security building. He has also worked for the International Centre for Policy Studies in Ukraine and the Institute for Public Policy Research in the UK. He has press and broadcast experience (BBC World Service, Radio 4). A native English speaker, Duncan also speaks fluent Russian and German, and good Ukrainian and French.
Roy Isbister – Small Arms and Transfer Controls Team leader
Roy is Saferworld's team leader on arms transfers. He has worked in this area for nearly ten years, and has internationally recognised expertise in developing and implementing strategies to promote the adoption of responsible arms transfer control strategies at national, regional and international levels. Roy is the author and/or editor of numerous research papers, reports, policy briefings and articles on arms transfer control policies. Roy regularly contributes to national, regional and international media on arms issues. Roy holds a Master's in International Relations from the University of Kent.
Elizabeth Kirkham – Small Arms and Transer Controls Adviser
Elizabeth is Small Arms and Transfer Controls Adviser, having worked on arms and security issues at Saferworld since 1993. Elizabeth's areas of interest include national, regional and international arms transfer control policies and practices and global and regional efforts to stem the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. Elizabeth has produced numerous publications for Saferworld on a wide range of related issues such as: how an international Arms Trade Treaty could be monitored and verified; and priorities for strengthened controls on small arms transfers in order to prevent their diversion. Elizabeth holds Master's in Political Studies and Strategic Studies.
Graham Mathias – Security and Justice Sector Development Adviser
Graham joined us as a part-time adviser on policing and security and justice sector development in 2002. Since then he has worked on these issues in Albania, Georgia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Moldova, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Yemen. Graham helped the UK government develop guidelines for UK police officers sent on overseas peace support missions and was engaged with developing material for the OECD-DAC guidelines on security sector reform. Graham's policing expertise draws from over thirty years spent with the Metropolitan Police Service which included a number of secondments as policing advisor to other countries' governments. He has also spent time working as a policing adviser with the FCO, DfID and the UK Government's Security and Justice Group (Stabilisation Unit) amongst others. Graham is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and has an MSc in Economics.
Simon Moore – Communications Coordinator
Simon is a communications specialist with over 15 years experience in non-profit communications and will be helping to ensure the significance of Saferworld’s work is clearly heard and understood. He has previously managed communications at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and the FDA civil service trade union, as well as carrying out communications consultancy for a range of international development organisations including Global Witness, Health Unlimited, Action for Global Health, Malaria Consortium and TB Alert. Simon has worked on a broad range of projects over the years including strategy development; organisational and media messaging; communications capacity building; publications and editorial; and website, intranet and digital development. He has recently completed a Masters in International Policy and Diplomacy.
Aisling O'Driscoll – Project Officer, Communications
Aisling is Saferworld’s Communications Officer. She supports programme teams to communicate their work through the website and other media. Aisling joined Saferworld in February 2009 having previously worked in CAFOD’s Supporter Relations team. She has volunteered in community-based education projects in Guatemala and the UK and has a BA in Modern History
Ben Stevenson – Advocacy and Communications Coordinator
Ben joined Saferworld in 2010 as an Advocacy and Communications Coordinator based in the Brussels office. His main focus is on the People’s Peacemaking Perspectives project which Saferworld is undertaking in partnership with Conciliation Resources. He previously worked for Rt. Hon. Michael Moore MP of the Liberal Democrats as a policy researcher and advisor on foreign affairs and international development issues. Ben has a BA in British Politics and Legislative Studies and is studying part-time towards an LLM in International Law.
Hannah Wright – UK Advocacy Coordinator
Hannah joined Saferworld in 2010 and is responsible for maintaining and developing Saferworld’s relationship with UK Parliamentarians, having previously spent two years working as a Parliamentary Researcher in the House of Commons. She has had articles on conflict and development published in print and online media, and has worked in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as a Peace Fellow for The Advocacy Project, helping a coalition of women’s rights NGOs to develop their advocacy capacity. Hannah has also volunteered in Brazil, teaching English to children living in the favelas of Rio de Jeneiro. She holds a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Gender and International Relations from the University of Bristol, and is currently learning Arabic.
