Staff and trustees

Our trustees help guide Saferworld in all major decisions. Their advice is backed up by years of experience and expertise in a range of areas – from finance, policy research and communications to peacebuilding and management.

Stephanie Blair, Chair

Stephanie runs an independent consultancy specialising in security and justice; peace, stabilisation and intervention; and fragile and conflict-affected states. As a chair, she brings a comprehensive understanding of the challenges for the peace and security community as it addresses the difficulties faced by fragile and conflict-affected countries.

Stephanie also has expertise in strategy development, and her geographical specialities are the Balkans and North Africa. Her consultancy business offers strategy and policy advice, training, facilitation and evaluation. Clients include the UK Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, the Stabilisation Unit, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Canadian Government and NATO.

Stephanie joined Saferworld in 2015 and was elected as chair in 2020.

Golam Morshed, Treasurer

Golam Morshed is the Chief Executive at Charity Accounting Services, a specialised accounting and financial management organisation supporting charities and non-profit organisations. He brings a strong background in financial management to Saferworld's board.

Golam previously worked in various financial management roles for a wide range of global development agencies including Oxfam, Save the Children, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Farm Africa and ACORD. Golam is a qualified accountant with an MBA.

Golam joined Saferworld in 2017.

Godfrey Allen, Trustee

Godfrey is the former Chief Executive of the national employment charity, the Apex Trust. With vast experience, he advises the board on organisational governance issues, and he has specialist knowledge of criminal justice sector reform and community economic development.

Godfrey is a former CEO of several other national and regional organisations that specialise in community economic development and crime reduction. He currently serves on the NHS Trust board among others, and is the England and Wales council member of the International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates.

Godfrey joined Saferworld as a trustee in 1999.

Georg Frerks, Trustee

Georg is Professor of Conflict Prevention and Conflict Management at the Centre for Conflict Studies at Utrecht University. He brings long-term experience in diplomacy and policy, and his areas of expertise are community economic development, criminal justice system reform and organisational governance.

Georg is also Chair of International Security Studies at the Netherlands Defence Academy. Trained as a sociologist, he specialises in contemporary conflict and emergencies. He has a distinguished record in the evaluation and monitoring of development, conflict and disaster programmes and has published widely on the subject.

Georg became a Saferworld trustee in 2015.

Owen Greene, Trustee

Owen is Professor of International Security and Development at Bradford University. In addition to his deep understanding of Saferworld as an organisation, Owen brings a wealth of expertise on a range of issues including conflict analysis, security sector reform, community security, arms control and international advocacy on conflict prevention.

From Saferworld’s early beginnings, Owen has worked closely with the organisation, serving as chair of the board of trustees for over a decade. He has held many expert and advisory roles for Bradford University as well as for over 20 governments, the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations and multiple policy networks.   

Owen has been an active member of Saferworld’s board since the 1990s.

Teresa Hanley, Trustee

Teresa has over twenty years of experience in the humanitarian and international development sectors. She brings expertise on migration, community-based resilience, conflict, gender, capacity-building, evaluation and communication.

Teresa has worked in over 40 countries, including in long-term roles in the Middle East, Central Asia and also as part of the European migration response. She has worked in a range of field-based, management and consultancy positions with the British and International Red Cross, international organisations, NGOs and governments.

Teresa joined the Saferworld board in 2016.

Christian Leffler, Trustee

Christian Leffler is a seasoned Swedish diplomat who joined the Swedish Foreign Service in 1980. After various posts in cabinets and external relations services, he joined the EU External Action Service when it was established in 2011 as the Managing Director for the Americas. He then became Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues in 2015 and served in this position until his retirement in March 2020.

Bringing a wealth of experience in diplomacy and policy, Christian joined Saferworld as a Trustee in 2021.

Yvonne Jazz Rowa, Trustee

Jazz has over ten years of experience in the fields of peacebuilding and democratisation within the non-profit sector. She brings expertise on a range of thematic areas spanning from security provision and governance, access to justice, good governance and public accountability, conflict and political analysis, and different approaches to peacebuilding.

Jazz begun her career in market research and public health. Over the years, she has worked as a researcher and practitioner in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions. She holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations and has previously worked as a Sessional Tutor on International Security, Criminology, and International Political Economy at the University of Adelaide.

Jazz joined Saferworld as a Trustee in 2021.

Ola Saleh, Trustee

Ola Saleh is a peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity expert, committed to decolonialising aid and knowledge production. She started her journey in 2005 as a feminist advocate in Syria, and now has had almost two decades’ worth of experience in the Middle East and North Africa region, South Caucasus, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Liberia.

Ola is also a keen writer, especially on the topics of the women, peace and security, conflict sensitivity and radicalisation. She is currently serving her second term as a member of the EU Radicalisation Awareness Network expert pool.

Ola joined Saferworld as a Trustee in 2021.

Ismayil Tahmazov, Trustee

Ismayil Tahmazov is the Global Strategy Manager at Islamic Relief Worldwide. He brings wide-ranging experience in development programming, strategy planning, governance and advocacy.

Before his position at Islamic Relief Worldwide, Ismayil co-founded The Humanitarian Forum and the Muslim Charities Forum. Ismayil has experience of working on projects across a wide geographic stretch, from the Middle East and the Caucasus to Haiti. He has held senior positions at the International Rescue Committee, Cooperative Housing Foundation International and Oxfam, and he has served on other boards including Skillshare International and HealthProm.

Ismayil joined Saferworld as a trustee in 2017.

Melanie Ward, Trustee

Melanie is a senior leader at the International Rescue Committee. She brings experience in humanitarian, development and human rights work, including programming, advocacy and organisational leadership.

As well as working in the UK and Europe more widely, Melanie has lived and worked in the Middle East, Africa and the USA. She has also worked for NGOs including ActionAid and Christian Aid. She has a background in politics, as a campaigner and activist, as well as a political adviser in both the Scottish and UK Parliaments. 

Melanie joined Saferworld as a Trustee in 2020.

Gbenga Coker, Director of Finance 

Gbenga leads the finance team in London and oversees the financial operations of Saferworld’s country offices in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He has a private sector background, having trained with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He previously worked with Air France before joining Oxfam GB in 2002, and has since remained in the non-profit sector. A fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, he received his PhD in accounting from King’s College, London, focusing on accountability in the non-governmental sector.

Susana Klien, Director of International Programmes

Susana joined Saferworld in 2015 as Director of International Programmes, where she oversees Saferworld’s country programmes across Africa, Asia, Europe and Central Asia and the Middle East. She brings a wide range of programmatic experience, having worked at a number of women’s rights organisations and on programmes that provide services for refugee and migrant women.

Before moving to the UK, Susana worked in Peru where she conducted research on human rights and provided recommendations to the government, in addition to lecturing on international human rights law.

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Paul Murphy, Executive Director

Paul Murphy is the Executive Director at Saferworld, where he oversees the organisation's development and growth as well as operations and programmes. After joining as Head of Europe and Central Asia in 2008, he became Director of Programmes and then Executive Director in 2011. For 20 years, Paul worked across Africa for a range of organisations, including for the United Nations. Most recently, he was director of Pact’s country programme in Sudan.

Paul’s specialty is in conflict prevention and post-conflict recovery, with a focus on the Sudans and the Horn of Africa region.

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Read articles and publications from Paul 

Robert Parker, Director of Policy and Communications

Rob leads the policy and communications teams based in London, where he manages Saferworld’s global policy and advocacy programmes including our research, analysis, technical support and communications.

With over 20 years’ experience in human rights and peacebuilding and more than a decade at Saferworld in a number of senior management roles he has led the development of policy areas including community security and police reform, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Arms Trade Treaty. He leads our advocacy teams in London, Brussels and Washington DC and is responsible for our work on China and for overseeing Saferworld’s external helpdesk facilities. Before joining Saferworld in 2006 Rob led successful national and international arms campaigns for Amnesty International UK and worked as a consultant for a range of organisations including Oxfam, Landmine Action and the Cluster Munitions Coalition. Rob holds a master’s degree in area studies (Latin America) from the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London and a BA (Hons) in French and Spanish.

Twitter: @SaferParker

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Read articles and publications from Rob

Vyda Mowen, Head of People and Culture

As a Senior HR professional with wide geographical and sector exposure, Vyda has extensive experience in leading people and culture teams to design and implement human resources strategies to deliver effective outcomes, including talent management, employee relations, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and performance management. She oversees the development and delivery of Saferworld’s people strategy and manages the provision of effective and professional HR service and advice.

Vyda has worked with commercial, government agency and not-profit organisations such as Oxfam UK, St Vincent de Paul Society, Canon UK, ABB, Atkins Global and Transport for NSW in Australia.

Vyda joined Saferworld in 2020.

Natalia Arkhipova, International HR Adviser

Natalia joined Saferworld in March 2019 as International HR Adviser based in London. Before joining Saferworld, Natalia worked for Oxfam for over 12 years in various HR positions, starting with the Oxfam programme in Russia. Her more recent focus was on the Middle East and North Africa region, though she took part in various global initiatives and cross-regional learning.

Marie Aziz, International HR Adviser and Operations Manager

Marie has been working in the human resources field for a number of years and both at Saferworld and other INGOs and voluntary organisations. She spent the early part of her career living and working in France. Marie joined Saferworld in 2009 and has seen the organisation grow and flourish over the years.

Diana Trimiño Mora, Head of Programme Support / Senior Gender Adviser

Diana Trimiño Mora began her role as Head of Programme Support and Learning in 2019, having joined Saferworld in 2017 as the Senior Gender, Peace and Security Adviser. She has over 15 years of experience working on issues around women’s and human rights, international law and displacement. Before joining the team, Diana led the International Rescue Committee’s policy work on women’s protection and empowerment in Europe.

She also has substantial experience of refugee protection and displacement issues, having previously worked for the University of London’s Refugee Law Initiative, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and as a Refugee Resettlement Coordinator and Migrants' Rights Adviser at the International Organisation for Migration. Her gender work has brought her to different regions such as Latin America, with organisations such as the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights.

Diana holds an LLM in international human rights law from Lund University, Sweden. 

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Ariana Martini, Head of Programme Support and Learning/Partnerships Adviser

Ariana joined Saferworld in 2009 and brings over 10 years of experience managing and supporting complex programmes in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. She currently leads the Programme Support and Learning team which provides ongoing programme development and advisory support and accompaniment to Saferworld teams and partners across our country and regional-based programmes in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. She also leads Saferworld’s efforts to ensure our partners have a greater say in everything we do, and is focused on supporting new ways of working that enable conflict-affected communities to lead their own initiatives to meet immediate needs while initiating longer term transformative processes to tackle root causes of conflict.

Before her role in the Programme Support and Learning team, Ariana managed a multi-country community security and peacebuilding programme for Saferworld in Bangladesh, South Sudan and Yemen, supporting teams, partners and community groups on planning, monitoring and evaluation processes and methodology, which introduced a new process of outcome monitoring and harvesting, and evidence collection. Her team continues to lead an innovative outcome-focused monitoring and harvesting approach, linked to a learning and practice group of programme staff in the organisation, to support adaptive programming and learning in complex environments.

Madeline Church, Head of Strategy and Organisational Development

Madeline leads on institutional strategy, and the organisational processes and systems needed to put strategy into action. She designed and led the development and institutional adoption of our renowned outcome-focused monitoring and harvesting approach, and continues to lead on our external training in this system. She chairs the Knowledge and Learning @ Saferworld Hub, a cross-organisational learning space to link research, programming and policy advocacy, and is on the management committee of the Dutch Knowledge Platform: Security and Rule of Law (KPSRL). She also manages the regional dialogues programme, spanning Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. She holds a PhD from Bath University, she founded the ABColombia Group and is a known innovator in networks, platforms, and monitoring, evaluation and learning. She has been at Saferworld for nine years.

Leena Patel, Advocacy Adviser, International Programmes

Leena joined Saferworld in October 2020. She has over 10 years’ experience in programme design and implementation, with a strong focus on supporting national and community-led legal and policy advocacy. She has previously worked with international organisations including UN Women, UNDP, the Ford Foundation, Girl Effect, Kaleidoscope Trust in the area of women’s and girls’ rights, LGBT+ people’s rights, and minority and indigenous people’s rights. She holds an LLM in International Law.

Shelagh Daley, Advocacy Adviser, International Programmes

Shelagh Daley joined Saferworld in 2012. Prior to her role as Advocacy Adviser to international programmes, she managed Saferworld’s engagement with the African Union and other regional bodies in Africa, and provided advocacy support for Saferworld’s East Africa programmes. She previously managed the global advocacy team and led on organisational engagement with UK government, parliament, and development practitioners. Before joining Saferworld, she worked at Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS UK) on the inclusion of women in peace processes. She also has several years of experience in international marketing and campaigning.

Shelagh brings a range of expertise on issues surrounding the arms trade, aid and conflict, gender, and conflict prevention.

Twitter: @shedales

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Read articles and publications from Shelagh

Lucian Harriman, Conflict, Security and Justice Adviser

Lucian Harriman joined Saferworld in November 2018 as Security and Justice Adviser to lead the security and justice work-stream of the Peace Research Partnership. Lucian provides programmatic support to nominated countries and also has a broader thematic focus on security and justice, supporting inclusive transitions to peace and engaging with armed non-state actors. From 2016-18 Lucian worked in Myanmar, initially to enhance public awareness of the peace process and support community-level conflict resolution, later to build cooperation between military and civilian branches of government and increase public participation in safety and security governance in cities. He mediated gang-related violent conflicts in the United Kingdom from 2015-16. From 2012-15 he oversaw armed violence reduction programmes in Somalia and Somaliland. From 2007-12 he worked in support of peace processes in Sudan: arranging unofficial ‘track two’ diplomacy between policymakers, organising cross-border confidence-building between communities and local authorities, and providing support to government negotiators and the international mediation. Lucian holds two mediator accreditations, a BA in international Relations, an MSc in violence, conflict and development, a PgCert in conflict resolution skills and a DipHE in law.

Sara Torrelles, Programme Support and Learning Adviser

Sara joined Saferworld in January 2020 as a Programme Support and Learning Adviser. She works with our country teams to strengthen our partnerships, leads the revision of our programme partnership approaches, tools, and related resources, and supports the development of our organisational strategy on partnerships. Having previously worked for Conciliation Resources and Peace Direct, Sara has a strong peacebuilding background. She has worked in partnership with over 30 civil society organisations and activists across Africa and Asia, recognising partnerships to be a key part of peacebuilding. Over the years, Sara has supported community-led research on engagement with armed groups in the northeast of Nigeria and worked with women-led organisations in Pakistan, the Philippines and Nigeria.

Sara is an advocate of shifting the power and resources towards the people who are most affected by conflict and challenging the practices that reinforce existing unequal power dynamics to ensure our partners have greater influence in everything we do. She brings experience on supporting community-led dialogues, gender transformative peacebuilding programming and conflict prevention.

Twitter: @SaraTorrelles

Alison Gordon, Head of Funding

Alison joined Saferworld in December 2019 as Head of Funding. Alison has had a long career in the international development sector. In addition to spending eight years as Director of Fundraising with HelpAge International, Alison worked as Head of International Funding at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Head of Programme Funding at Practical Action. Her senior fundraising posts have focused on growing and diversifying income streams, from statutory donors to the general public.

Abdoulie Jawo, Funding and Programme Development Manager

Abdoulie Jawo joined Saferworld as Funding and Programme Development Manager. Abdoulie has three decades of development and humanitarian work experience starting as a frontline community development worker in 1990 with the Government of The Gambia after he left teaching in 1988. Since September 1991, Abdoulie has mainly worked with the INGO sector in several African countries (The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya) as well as in the United Kingdom. Abdoulie is experienced in both fundraising and programme management and has experience with a range of UK, European, Asian and American donors.

Ali Ahmed Hersi, Somalia and Somaliland Country Director

Ali Hersi joined Saferworld in June 2018 as Country Director for Somalia and Somaliland. He has close to 20 years’ experience in leadership, programme design and implementation in various civil society organisations. He has managed diverse programmes in emergency relief and rehabilitation, peacebuilding and conflict resolution, food security and livelihoods, as well as general development in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Ali holds a master’s degree in peace and justice, which he completed on Fulbright and Rotary international ambassadorial scholarships, and another master’s in international relations from Warsaw University, Poland.

Mauro Tadiwe, South Sudan Country Director

Mauro Tadiwe joined Saferworld as South Sudan Country Director in April 2018. Before, he was Concordis International’s Country Director in South Sudan from 2014 to 2017 and from 2009 to 2014 he held three positions at Pact, including Country Director.

Mauro trained as a priest and held several pastoral and ecclesiastical management positions. After moving to the UK, Mauro worked at two inner-London urban regeneration schemes and for nearly three years with Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust. Mauro was also a member and chair of Migrants Resource Centre’s management board in London as well as a board member and chair of  Skills for South Sudan Board of Trustees in the UK from 2004 to 2011. Mauro holds a BA in theology from the Urbaniana University in Rome, and a master’s degree in management practice from Middlesex University in London.

Emmy Auma, Country Manager and Head of Office, Kenya

Emmy is currently the acting County Manager and Head of Office for Saferworld’s Kenya Programme, having worked in the organisation in various capacities since joining in 2014. She has over 13 years’ experience in designing, implementing and managing governance and peacebuilding programmes. Before joining Saferworld, she worked as a conflict adviser with Danish Refugee Council leading the implementation of the five-year Resilience and Economic Growth in the Arid Lands – Improving Resilience programme funded by USAID and designed to decrease vulnerabilities, build resilience and stimulate growth in selected arid and semi-arid areas. Before that, she led peacebuilding programming in World Vision Kenya as the National Technical Lead where she designed and oversaw the implementation of numerous programmes across the country.

Emmy has extensive experience in conflict assessments, conflict-sensitive programming, community security, working with cross-cultural teams, capacity building for non-state actors, programme design and project cycle management, context-driven programme adaptation, policy, advocacy, and peacebuilding strategy development including countering violent extremism.

Wilfred Opobo, Uganda Country Manager

Wilfred joined Saferworld in September 2019, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience gained at senior management level with peacebuilding, development and emergency programmes. He has significant programme and financial management experience of bilateral, multilateral, foundations and other donors, and broad experience of working in partnership with government, NGOs, other civil society organisations and networks. Previously, he chaired the steering committee for the Northern Uganda Human Rights Partnership, served as board member of Citizen Watch Information Technology Uganda and coordinated UNLOCK conflict early warning network in Uganda, among others.

Before Saferworld, Wilfred was Head of Programmes for War Child Canada in Uganda. Before that, he served in various capacities with Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development (ACORD), including as Programme Development Adviser in South Sudan and Director of Programmes in Uganda. Wilfred holds a Master of Science in international development as a commonwealth scholar and a Master of Arts in international relations and diplomatic studies. He is also a trained organisational development facilitator.

Maryam Abdi, ARC Programme Manager, Somalia

Maryam is currently Saferworld's ARC Programme Manager in Somalia. The programme supports the delivery of community security programming in Somalia. She has over ten years’ experience in the Horn of Africa on programmes that focus on good governance, youth empowerment, gender, security sector reform and humanitarian emergencies. Before joining Saferworld, Maryam worked with the International Organization for Migration as a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer to support the sustainable reintegration of youth at risk and to build the capacity of federal and regional member states on youth at risk where she successfully facilitated the skills-building of youth in Somalia, coordinated physio-social support for vulnerable youth, and improved government ministries work on youth engagement.

Maryam also worked with Oxfam as Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability Officer for the Somalia humanitarian programme for five years where she developed monitoring and evaluation approaches in hard-to-reach areas, including working with partners on core humanitarian standards and gender in emergencies. Maryam holds a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Nairobi.

Andrew Ewoku, Advocacy and Communications Manager, Uganda

Andrew Ewoku is the Advocacy and Communications Manager for our Uganda programme. He brings with him a broad spectrum of experience in advocacy, communications and program support – mainly with international development and humanitarian organisations.   

Prior to joining Saferworld, Andrew worked with Alight – formerly ARC in Sudan, Coffey International in Sierra Leone, CARE International in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Save the Children in Sierra Leone, Journalists for Human Rights and BBC Media Action. He also has experience working with a number of media agencies in Uganda.

Andrew holds a Master of Arts Degree in Media Studies and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication. 

Eva Mutenga, Partnerships Development Manager, South Sudan

Eva Mutenga joined Saferworld in October 2018 as the Partnerships Development Manager in South Sudan. Before joining Saferworld she worked with Nonviolent Peaceforce in South Sudan as Programme Development Manager. Eva has significant grants management expertise, leading the implementation and administration of multiple grants, ensuring programme quality and operational excellence through effective reporting and compliance, and coordinating relationships with partners. She has experience managing funds for a multitude of donors including DFID, USAID-OFDA, the EU, Humanity United, Netherlands Embassy, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UN Agencies in South Sudan, Uganda, Liberia, Ghana and Zimbabwe.

Galdino Sakondo, Programme Manager, South Sudan

Galdino is Saferworld's South Sudan Programme Manager and is responsible for all of Saferworld’s programme portfolio in South Sudan, providing leadership and management oversight. As a development and peacebuilding practitioner, Galdino joined Saferworld in 2014 as a Project Coordinator based in Yambio, South Sudan, and led the implementation of Saferworld’s community security programme in Western Equatoria State. In 2016, Galdino was appointed Area Project Manager based in Juba, and managed Saferworld’s community security and peacebuilding work in the Equatoria and Jonglei regions, a position he held till 2018 when he was appointed Programme Manager.

Before joining Saferworld, Galdino served as Education Specialist at UNESCO in Juba. He had earlier served as Director of Skills for South Sudan, a UK-based charity established by South Sudanese diaspora (2010-2013); Programme Director for the Catholic Diocese of Tambura-Yambio, South Sudan (2008-2010), and Director at a Training Institute for the Catholic Diocese of Tambura-Yambio (1997-2006).

Abdijalil Tahir, Policy, Advocacy and Communications Manager, Somalia and Somaliland

Abdijalil Tahir is Policy, Advocacy and Communications Manager for Saferworld’s Somalia and Somaliland programme. He joined Saferwold in August 2015 as Democratisation Project Manager/Head of Hargeisa Office for Somaliland managing the elections programme. He later became Participatory Governance and Peacebuilding Programme Manager for Somalia. He oversaw long-term programmes focusing on governance, peacebuilding, elections and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Abdijalil brings 15 years of experience and has worked for a variety of international and local organisations including the International Republican Institute, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Somaliland National Youth Organization and Horn of Africa Aid. Abdijalil has a master’s degree in development studies from Kampala University in Uganda and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Hargeisa University in Somaliland.

Twitter: @Afqarshe2

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Tamara Duffey-Janser, Head of Asia

Tamara began her role as Head of Central and South East Asia in May 2017, overseeing the Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Myanmar country programmes. She became the Head of Asia in May 2019, adding Nepal and Pakistan to her regional portfolio. Tamara previously worked for Saferworld in East Africa from January 2014 as the Head of the Great Lakes and Sudans region, overseeing the Uganda, South Sudan and Sudan country programmes.

Tamara has over 25 years of research, training, and programming experience in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and peacekeeping and community security and community policing in a number of conflict-affected and post-conflict contexts, including Tajikistan and Kosovo. Before this, Tamara was a research fellow and lecturer in the Department of Peace Studies/Centre for Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford (1993-2000).

Khirad Kargasov, Tajikistan Country Manager

Khirad became Saferworld's Tajikistan Country Manager in June 2019, overseeing the country's strategy and the implementation of projects.  Khirad has been with the organisation since 2014 - first as Area Programme Manager in Juba, South Sudan, and then later in Tajikistan where he helped set up the country office and programme.

Before Saferworld, Khirad worked as Program Manager for the United States Department of State's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) at the US Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where he coordinated implementation of the Tajikistan Community Policing programme. 

Ilya Jones, Regional Conflict and Security Adviser, Central Asia

Ilya began his role as Regional Conflict and Security Adviser for Central Asia in January 2020, supporting the Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan teams in achieving their goals and advising on programme implementation, research, advocacy, communications and funding. Ilya has been with Saferworld since June 2016, when he joined the communications team in London where he led on digital development and supported on publications and other content – with a particular focus on Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Asia.

Before joining Saferworld, Ilya worked in the communications team in Malaria Consortium. He's also worked in former Soviet countries Russia and Georgia, including for an environmental NGO. Ilya holds an MSc from LSE, a bachelor’s from Skidmore College in the US, and has completed degree programmes at Sophia University in Japan and Smolny College in Russia.

Twitter: @ilyajones11

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Sairah Yusuf, South Asia Programme Manager

Sairah joined Saferworld in April 2018, managing Saferworld's work on regional dialogue processes and economic connectivity in South Asia, with a focus on conflict sensitivity, partnership building, and programme design, adaptation, and learning. She has previously worked with Generations For Peace in Jordan, overseeing the design of participatory monitoring and evaluation processes for community-based peacebuilding programmes, in addition to supporting research and policy work for the Government of Punjab, USIP, and the World Bank. She has developed and implemented programme and evaluation functions for partners and donors, including UNICEF, USAID, the EU, and the US Department of State, with experience working across South Asia as well as the Middle East and North Africa. Sairah holds an MPhil in politics from the University of Oxford.

Léonie Northedge, Head of Middle East and North Africa Programmes

Léonie Northedge joined Saferworld in 2014, and has worked on Saferworld’s programmes and research, policy and advocacy on Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia. Before Saferworld, Léonie worked at the think tank Chatham House, where she was a Research Associate on the Middle East and North Africa.

Twitter: @leonieleonie

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Awfa al-Naami, Yemen Country Manager

Awfa has expertise on peacebuilding, community programming and women’s inclusion in peacebuilding. She previously worked as a Gender Project Manager for Saferworld in Yemen and as a Gender Advisor for the National Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response, where she coordinated Food, Security and Livelihoods programming. Awfa has worked on gender-related projects with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and holds an MBA.

Dora Piscoi, Yemen Programme Manager 

Dora Piscoi joined Saferworld at the end of 2018 as Programme Manager in the Yemen team. Her experience over the past eight years has been mainly in the humanitarian sector, including providing programming support in an advisory capacity from London as well as working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Jordan, Haiti, Iraq and Syria. 

Bilal Sukkar, Middle East and North Africa Programme Coordinator

Bilal joined Saferworld in 2018. His previous experience includes working on food security and education projects in Syria, and on advocacy and policy responses to the Syrian crisis. He has an MA in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies from King’s College London.

Twitter: @ElshamiHilal

Homam Kuzlbash, Middle East and North Africa Finance Manager

Homam has over 12 years of experience in business development and financial management, both in the private and non-profit sector, and extensive experience in conflict-related humanitarian response.

Ahmed Ziat, Middle East and North Africa Grants Manager

Ahmed has extensive experience in grants and programme management in the MENA region. Before joining Saferworld, Ahmed worked at Westminster Foundation for Democracy and Hoping Foundation. He has an MSc in Violence, Conflict, and Development and a BA in International Politics.

Wisam Elhamoui, Middle East and North Africa Civil Society Advisor 

Wisam's work focuses on supporting the exchange of knowledge and learning with civil society organisations, ensuring their input and views are at the centre of our programmatic work and strategy. Wisam has extensive experience in civil society empowerment and solidarity. His previous work includes peacebuilding, governance, gender equality, and advocacy. He holds an MA in Development and Emergency Practice and a post-graduate degree in Humanities and Islamic Studies.

Larry Attree, Head of Global Policy and Advocacy

Larry Attree is Head of Global Policy and Advocacy at Saferworld. With over 16 years’ experience, he is a globally recognised expert on conflict issues. He is author and editor of numerous studies on counter-terrorism (CT), countering/preventing violent extremism (C/PVE), stabilisation, statebuilding, peace and development. He input extensively into global negotiations on peace and development issues including the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States, the Busan Partnership and the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

His experience includes project management, advocacy, policy development, advisory and capacity building support, evaluation and extensive research. His expertise covers aid and conflict, stabilisation, CT, C/PVE, governance and statebuilding, arms control and armed violence reduction, reintegration, community security, security and justice sector development and conflict sensitivity (including conflict analysis, programme design, monitoring and evaluation). Larry has worked for a variety of UN and international agencies, NGOs and the corporate sector with several years’ field experience in conflict-affected parts of Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.

Twitter: @LarryAttree

Read articles and publications from Larry

Bernardo Mariani, Head of China Programme

Bernardo is the Head of Saferworld’s China Programme. With 25 years’ experience in human rights and conflict prevention and two decades at Saferworld in a number of management roles, he now manages projects on arms export controls, conflict sensitive business practices and China’s engagement in UN peacekeeping operations.

Previously Bernardo worked on advocacy, research and training on conflict prevention and peacebuilding across Europe and Russia. He also worked as Researcher at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International and as Consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the European Commission, researching and advising on trans-regional security threats and developing guidelines to combat arms trafficking.

Bernardo holds a master's degree in political science and international relations. He’s fluent in English, French, German and Italian and has basic knowledge of Chinese (Mandarin), Russian and Spanish.

Twitter: @bernardoinchina

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Jason S Calder, Saferworld USA Head of Office

Jason joined Saferworld as the Saferworld USA Head of Office in Washington, D.C. where he manages Saferworld’s policy and advocacy work. He brings over 20 years’ experience in peacebuilding, governance and development with work in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Before joining Saferworld, Jason was The Carter Center’s Office Director and Country Representative in Guyana where he worked on elections, constitutional reform and transparency. He brings a range of expertise on multi-stakeholder dialogue, inclusive governance, social cohesion, community-driven peacebuilding and aid effectiveness. He spent over 14 years in roles with The Carter Center and supported several of former President Jimmy Carter’s mediation and dialogue initiatives. In addition, he worked with Future Generations, consulted with USIP and UNDP, and managed partnerships with the World Bank, UN and OECD. His experience includes advisory support, policy change, research and programme management.

Lucia Montanaro, Head of Saferworld Europe

Lucia is Head of Saferworld Europe. She has over 25 years’ experience working on peace, security and conflict issues, including peacebuilding, mediation and reconciliation, governance, security, armed groups, organised crime, early warning, risk assessment, resilience and recovery. She has worked for the UN, EU and other organisations in numerous fragile and conflict-affected contexts across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe. 

Her previous positions include working as a Peace and Development Adviser for the United Nations in Mauritania; Team Leader for the UNDP on peacebuilding and stabilisation in Jonglei, South Sudan; Senior Adviser on early warning in Mali for SHAPE; Coordinator of the National Plan for Peacebuilding and Recovery for the Central African Republic; Expert for European Resources of Mediation Support for the European Union; Team Leader for International Alert, managing the ‘Initiative for Peacebuilding’; and as a Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre.

Ivan Campbell, Head of Research and Learning

Ivan Campbell joined Saferworld in 2005 as the Head of Africa Programme, following over a decade of working in conflict-affected states including Burundi and Rwanda, and managing International Alert’s Great Lakes programme. In 2009, he took up the role of Senior Conflict and Security Adviser, in which he led Saferworld’s policy dialogue with rising powers and managed work on the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as providing technical support to a range of country programmes, including Myanmar.

As Head of Research and Learning, Ivan oversees the Peace Research Partnership (a consortium with International Alert and Conciliation Resources) while leading the development of Saferworld’s broader research strategy.

Read articles and publications from Ivan

Tim Midgley, Head of Conflict Advisory Unit

Tim joined Saferworld in September 2013 as Senior Conflict and Security Adviser with a focus on aid and conflict, conflict sensitivity, and security and justice. Before joining the team, Tim was the fragile states adviser for World Vision UK, as well as having worked for DfiD’s South Asia Department focusing on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and engaging in consultancy projects with donors such as GTZ and UNDP.

Tim’s expertise lies in integrating conflict-sensitive approaches into programming and disaster risk management across South/South East Asia and East Africa.

Twitter: @TimSaferworld

LinkedIn

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Elizabeth Bourne, Head of Communications

Elizabeth is Head of Communications, overseeing Saferworld’s communications, marketing and external profile. She joined Saferworld in 2012 as Communications Coordinator and has since led on delivering the Saferworld’s first organisational communications strategy, redeveloping Saferworld’s website and building and managing Saferworld’s communications team to support Saferworld’s funding, programme and policy objectives.

Elizabeth brings over 15 years’ experience working at non-governmental organisations, including at Oxfam International as Brand and Communications Officer where she supported on media, communications strategy and the organisation’s first global brand project. Elizabeth also worked in a range of non-communications roles, including in funding at Oxfam International and in humanitarian programmes for Oxfam Australia and the Australian government. She has an MA in International Relations (Peacebuilding) from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Twitter: @bourneshort

LinkedIn

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Natalia Chan, Conflict and Security Adviser

Natalia joined Saferworld in February 2020, and leads on providing strategic and technical support to the Conflict Sensitivity Facility for Sudan.

Natalia also works closely with the Conflict Sensitivity Resource Facility in South Sudan and provides support to Saferworld’s conflict sensitivity helpdesks and Saferworld programmes. Natalia is the co-chair of the South Sudan Working Group of UK-based NGOs.

Claire Devlin, Senior Conflict and Security Adviser

Claire Devlin is the Senior Conflict and Security Adviser in the Conflict Advisory Unit. She has 15 years’ experience in the humanitarian and development sectors and before joining Saferworld in February 2020 she worked with Christian Aid, DfID, GIZ, and UNICEF in Africa and Asia. Her focus is on conflict sensitivity and security and justice. She works with a range of humanitarian and multi-mandate actors, organisations and institutions to promote both conflict sensitivity and progress on the localisation agenda in conflict-affected contexts. This work involves supporting internal reform processes aimed at improving effectiveness of agencies operating in conflict-affected contexts. She also supports research, analysis and dissemination of learning and experience on how actors can operate in more locally-led and conflict sensitive ways, especially to influence global policy discussions.

Twitter: @ClaireAustine

Alexandra Azua Hale, Communications Manager

Alexandra is Communications Manager, overseeing story-led and audio-visual communications, and branding. She joined Saferworld in 2017 and has since worked closely with the Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Nepal and Yemen programmes to produce community-focused content and develop communications strategies. Alexandra has a background in visual communications and design. She has an MA in Communication Design at Central Saint Martins and a BA from Newcastle University in Media, Communications and Cultural Studies.

Twitter: @azua_hale

Roy Isbister, Team Leader – Arms Unit

Roy leads Saferworld's work on conventional arms. He has over 15 years’ experience in developing and implementing strategies to promote the adoption of responsible arms transfer control strategies nationally, regionally and internationally. He has edited and authored research papers, reports, policy briefings and articles on arms transfer control policies. Roy regularly contributes to international media on arms issues. He is currently Co-chair of the global Control Arms Coalition and the Coordinator of the UK NGO Working Group on Arms. Roy holds a master's degree in international relations from the University of Kent.

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Elizabeth Kirkham, Arms Unit Adviser

Elizabeth has 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.

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"Leon" Yu Liang, Beijing Operations Manager

“Leon” Yu Liang is the Operations Manager of Saferworld's new Beijing office. He has over 20 years of experience working in media and NGOs. Leon started his career in 2000 as a journalist with China Daily and other media outlets. Later in 2009 he joined the Internews China programme and worked for 9 years as the Operations Manager and Acting Country Director, overseeing a variety of programmes that aimed to foster greater information flow and media development in China. More recently, he worked as a China Adviser for Global Witness, responsible for advocacy, communications and legal compliance of its China programme. Leon holds a master's degree in journalism, communication and development studies from the Ohio University and another in linguistics from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Ojaswi Shah, Conflict and Security Adviser

Ojaswi joined Saferworld in 2010 primarily focused on shaping the Nepal programme’s gender and peacebuilding, and security sector reform work. She led Saferworld’s first participatory research on notions of masculinities and violence in Nepal, worked on gender, disarmament and rehabilitation of ex-combatants in Nepal. She also contributed to Saferworld’s programming on community security supporting its set up in Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Somalia and Yemen. She has been working on conflict sensitivity, providing trainings and coordinating conflict assessments to various donors, security providers and civil society actors since 2013 before taking up the Conflict and Security Adviser role in London in 2017. She now works as an adviser within the Conflict Advisory Unit with a focus on gender and conflict-sensitive approaches to peacebuilding and crisis response.

Ojaswi has 10 years of peacebuilding experience and a master's degree in conflict, peace and development studies.

Jordan Street, Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Jordan joined Saferworld in April 2017 as a Policy and Advocacy Adviser with particular focus on the United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals, youth, peace and security, and promoting peacebuilding responses to terrorism and migration. He has 7 years’ experience working with international peacebuilding and conflict prevention organisations, including at the Quaker United Nations Office in New York, the World Federation of United Nations Associations, and Caritas in northern Kenya. He has written a number of studies on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16, and the effects of counter-terrorism and countering/preventing violent extremism agendas.

Jordan holds an MSci in international relations and global issues from the University of Nottingham and spent a year studying abroad at Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po - Paris).

Twitter: @jordan_street07 

LinkedIn 

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Jessica Summers, Communications Manager

Jessica oversees Saferworld's external communications including media and publications. She joined Saferworld in 2016 as the publications and editorial coordinator and has since contributed to publications, comment pieces, media, photo stories and events. She’s worked closely with the South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Kenya programmes and partners to deliver training and communications, for example about land rights and gender in Uganda, elections in Somalia and Kenya, and community-led peacebuilding in South Sudan. Jessica's background is in writing, editing and publishing in international development for organisations including Spore Magazine, the UNDP global environment facility, International Development Research Centre and the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems. She has written about topics including farming and climate change in southern Ethiopia, crime and urbanisation in Ghana, among other rural development and environmental issues. Jessica has an MSc in gender research from LSE and studied gender at the University of California, Berkeley.

Twitter: @Jessa_Summers

Charlotte Watson, Conflict and Security Adviser

Charlotte joined Saferworld as a Conflict and Security Adviser in January 2016. She has over 15 years’ experience working on conflict and peacebuilding with a specific focus on security and justice and conflict-sensitive development. She was a co-author of Saferworld’s gender analysis of conflict toolkit. 

Before joining Saferworld, Charlotte spent five years as an independent consultant based in Uganda and South Africa. She worked for USAID, Danish Demining Group, Department for International Development, PwC and the Institute for Security Studies and led research and field work in Karamoja, Uganda and Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan. She also worked as a Technical Conflict Adviser for the Ugandan Office of the Prime Minister. Charlotte spent eight years at International Alert, leading their security and peacebuilding work and developing their community security work in Nepal.

Charlotte holds an MA in politics from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in violence, conflict and development from the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Louisa Waugh, Senior Conflict Policy Adviser

Louisa Waugh is a Senior Conflict Policy Adviser with the Saferworld EU team: she has extensive overseas experience of managing complex peacebuilding programmes in Africa and the Middle East, including in the Central African Republic, Mali and Senegal. She previously worked as an international human rights programme manager monitoring civilian protection programmes for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, and with asylum seekers in a refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos.

Louisa specialises in security governance, civil-military dialogue, community protection programming and migration and forced displacement. She has expertise in negotiating access to areas of live conflict, and working with traumatised, divided communities. Louisa speaks French and Arabic, is a trained mediator and trauma counsellor, and has written award-winning non-fiction books.

Zahbia Yousuf, Senior Research Adviser

Zahbia Yousuf is Senior Research Adviser at Saferworld, where she supports research design and delivery for practical programming and policy advocacy. Before this she was at Conciliation Resources from 2012-2018, where she was editor of the Accord Insight publication, and managed the DFID-funded Political Settlements Research Project, supporting staff and learning with partner organisations how to develop practice based-research activities. She has also taught at SOAS University and Kings College London, and completed a PhD in comparative peace processes in 2010, with a focus on northern Ireland, Palestine, and Kashmir, from Kings College London.