Affiliation(s): American University, Washington, DC, USA
http://www.american.edu/sis/;

Country: USA/Israel/Palestine

Focus: Associate professor at the American University's School of International Service in International Peace and Conflict Resolution in Washington, DC, and Director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute, American University. Mohammed Abu-Nimer is an expert on conflict resolution and dialogue for peace. He has conducted research on conflict resolution and dialogue for peace among Palestinians and Jews in Israel; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the application of conflict resolution models in Muslim communities; interreligious conflict resolution training; interfaith dialogue; and evaluation of conflict resolution programs. As a practitioner, he has intervened and conducted conflict resolution training workshops in many areas of conflict around the world, including: Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Northern Ireland, the Philippines (Mindanao), Sri Lanka, U.S., and other areas. Abu-Nimer is the co-founder and co-editor of the new Journal of Peacebuilding and Development.

Affiliation(s): Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR), University of Cape Town, South Africa
http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/

Country: South Africa

Focus: Executive Director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution, which seeks to contribute towards a just peace in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa by promoting constructive, creative and co-operative approaches to the resolution of conflict and the reduction of violence. Mediation, facilitation, training, education and research comprise the Centre's main activities, with an emphasis on capacity-building. These activities are aimed at the following goals: to provide third party assistance in the resolution of community and political conflicts; to equip and empower individuals and groups with the skills to settle community, political and social conflict constructively; to participate in national and regional peace initiatives; to promote public awareness of the value and practice of constructive conflict resolution; to contribute towards an understanding of conflict and violence; to contribute to the transformation of South African society and its institutions by promoting democratic values. Adebajo served on UN missions in South Africa, Western Sahara and Iraq, and was a member of the resource group advising the UN High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change.

Affiliation(s): Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace, Bethesda, Maryland, USA; http://learningpartnership.org/

Country: USA/Iran

Focus: Founder of the Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace (WLP) which empowers women and girls in the Global South to re-imagine and re-structure their roles in their families, communities, and societies. WLP provides leadership training, supports capacity building, and helps women use new technologies to generate and receive information and knowledge. Through its Culture of Peace Program, WLP encourages the cultivation of values, attitudes, and ways of life that promote cooperation and tolerance. In particular, they sponsor symposia and distribute literature on women's roles in conflict resolution, peace building, and democracy.

Affiliation(s): Somaliland Anti-AIDS Group (SAAG)

Country: Somaliland

Focus: Member of the Somaliland Anti-AIDS Group, which educates youth between ages 14 and 24 on issues pertaining to HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases through workshops and debates. The group also strives to promote youth leadership through workshops and discussions on youth participation in decision making processes in the country.

Affiliation(s): International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights and Democracy), Canada, http://www.ichrdd.ca

Country:Canada/Togo

Focus: Member of the Africa Region and Democratic Development teams within Rights and Democracy. Akouété Akakpo-Vidah advises and provides technical and financial support to civil society groups in order to strengthen their processes, dialogue, and involvement with state institutions and governments in countries transitioning from conflict to democracy. He has experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Togo, Ivory Coast, Guinea.

Affiliation(s): Democracy & Conflict Research Institute (DCRI)

Country: Ghana/USA

Focus: Founder of the Democracy and Conflict Research Institute (DCRI), an Institute which aims to deploy the soundest and most reliable techniques to research and illuminate the complex relationship between democracy and conflict in Africa and to generate new, practical, and actionable knowledge. The Institute uses such knowledge to generate early warnings of conflict, early response interventions, and other innovative projects that strengthen democracy and minimize violent conflict. Akuetteh previously served as the founding Executive Director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

Affiliation(s): African Peacebuilding and Reconciliation Network, Nairobi, Kenya

Country: Ethiopia/Kenya

Focus: Scholar and an active international peacebuilding practitioner involved in mediation and facilitation of reconciliation processes in many parts of the world. Hizkias Assefa has been engaged in second-track diplomacy work in Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda and Mozambique. He has facilitated grass-roots peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives in the above countries as well as in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Angola, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa, and Colombia. He has served as a consultant to the United Nations, European Union, and many international and national NGOs and conducted conflict resolution and peacebuilding training seminars and workshops in over 50 countries in the world.

Affiliation(s): Mediation and Transformation Practice, Cape Town, South Africa; Foundation for Citizenship and Governance Training, South Africa

Country: South Africa

Focus: Founding Director of Mediation and Transformation Practice in South Africa. Has lead coaching and mentoring in leadership and management skills, diversity and change management as well as conflict resolution and transformation.

Affiliation(s): Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/

Country: South Africa

Focus: Senior Project Officer for Youth & Prisons for the Center for Conflict Resolution. She works in schools, prisons, and community groups in the area of conflict resolution and restorative justice. The Centre for Conflict Resolution seeks to contribute towards a just peace in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa by promoting constructive, creative and co-operative approaches to the resolution of conflict and the reduction of violence. It strives to provide third party assistance in the resolution of community and political conflicts; to equip and empower individuals and groups with the skills to settle community, political and social conflict constructively; to encourage participation in national and regional peace initiatives; to promote public awareness of the value and practice of constructive conflict resolution; to contribute towards an understanding of conflict and violence; and to contribute to the transformation of South African society and its institutions by promoting democratic values.

Affiliation(s): National Accountability Group Freetown, Sierra Leone

Country: Sierra Leone

Focus: Senior Manager at the National Accountability Group (NAG), which is a civil society membership organization that is dedicated to achieving greater accountability, transparency, and integrity in order to curb corruption, and to holding local and national government accountable to the people of Sierra Leone. NAG is partnered with Transparency International and the Anti Corruption Commission in Sierra Leone. Banduah formerly worked with the Campaign for Good Governance, Sierra Leone.

Affiliation(s): Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), Jerusalem
http://www.ipcri.org/

Country: Israel/Palestine/USA

Focus: Founder of IPCRI, a jointly-run Israeli and Palestinian think-tank that works with hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians in government and the private sector. He is a practitioner in negotiations, conflict resolution, and peacemaking. He promotes dialogue and opportunities for cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Affiliation(s): Armenian National Committee of the Helsinki Citizen's Assembly

Country: Armenia

Focus: An activist for peace and human rights in Armenia and a former member of the Armenian parliament. She is currently co-chair of the Armenian Committee of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, an international network of civic organizations working to deepen Europe’s commitment to democracy and human rights. She is engaged in a number of cross-border initiatives geared toward securing peace and democracy in the region.

Affiliation(s): Rural Human Rights Activists Programme, (RHRAP) Monrovia, Liberia

Country: Liberia

Focus: Executive Director and founding member of the Rural Human Rights Activists Programme (RHRAP) in Monrovia, Liberia. RHRAP aims to raise grassroots awareness about the danger of religious intolerance and ethnic conflict, to prevent further escalation of conflict, and to create an environment for national reconciliation. RHRAP conducts workshops and roundtable discussions throughout the country. Participants, including community leaders, religious leaders, teachers, students, refugees, and governmental officials, discuss human rights fundamentals and principles, strategies for conflict resolution, and techniques for ethnic coexistence. In order to reach a broader audience and reinforce those programs, RHRAP produces a bi-weekly radio program in which prominent Liberians and human rights activists discuss reconciliation, peace-building, and human rights. The program is aired in English and 16 local dialects.

Affiliation(s): World Bank

Country: Cameroon

Focus: A leading journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and broadcast media. Boh previously worked for the United Nations Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa in Lome, Togo, where he helped media practitioners sustain the freedom of the press in situations of armed conflict. He seeks to promote free speech, professional ethics, and the delivery of unbiased, non-incendiary information by the African media, especially public radio and television. As a fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, Boh developed strategies for improving access to information on human rights and democracy in Africa, notably through the establishment of an online newswire service, and has given presentations on practical ways in which Africans can reform the media sector to deliver reliable information on human rights, accountability, and good governance in Africa. He currently works as communications officer for the Africa Region at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, where he serves as focal point for most of the conflict-ridden or post-conflict countries of the Great Lakes region, Central Africa and West Africa. He also continues to work on democracy and is involved, in his personal capacity, with the Youth Movement for Democracy.

Affiliation(s): Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy (COPDA)

Country: Liberia

Focus: Member of the Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy (COPDA) which focuses on human rights, peace building, and democracy. Established in 1996 to fill the gap in Liberia’s development, human rights, and justice systems, COPDA promotes civil, social, and economic rights in conjunction with local self-help development programs. One of its recent programs provided skills training and taught the Liberian Constitution to citizens and people in rural Liberia, specifically Nimba County. COPDA’s strategies include rehabilitation and trauma counseling for youth affected by conflict, human rights literacy training, and monitoring and documentation of human rights issues.

Affiliation(s): Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy (COPDA)

Country: Liberia

Focus: Deputy Director of the Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy (COPDA), an organization that focuses on human rights, peace building, and democracy. Established in 1996 to fill the gap in Liberia’s development, human rights, and justice systems, COPDA promotes civil, social, and economic rights in conjunction with local self-help development programs. One of its recent programs provided skills training and taught the Liberian Constitution to citizens and people in rural Liberia, specifically Nimba County. COPDA’s strategies include rehabilitation and trauma counseling for youth affected by conflict, human rights literacy training, and monitoring and documentation of human rights issues.

Affiliation(s): Droits Humains Sans Frontières, Kinshasa, DRC; Legal Adviser Independent Electoral Commission

Country: Democratic Republic of Congo

Focus: Director of Droits Humains Sans Frontières, Kamunga is a human rights and humanitarian law activist, lawyer, and an expert in conflict analysis, management, and resolution. He also serves as a researcher for the United States Peace Institute and the Council for the Development of Social Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and is a member of the Steering Committee of the African Migration Alliance based in Pretoria, South Africa, which focuses on migration issues in Africa. His research focuses on the crisis in the Great Lakes region, youth political participation, gender, human rights advocacy and monitoring, the training of trainers in human rights defense, elections systems studies and analysis, and legal assistance.

Affiliation(s):Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Durban, South Africa
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/index.html

Country: South Africa

Focus: Formerly a research director in the Democracy and Governance programme of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and now chair of the HSRC Press' Editorial Board. He served on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1996-1998 as a senior researcher and report writer. His academic writings have focused on the areas of foreign policy, political economy, and human rights with a concentration on South and southern Africa. His most recent book The State of the Nation: South Africa 2005-2006, co-edited with Roger Southall, Sakhela Buhlungu and Jessica Lutchman, was the third in an annual series which focuses on contemporary issues in post-apartheid South Africa.

Affiliation(s): Robben Island Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
http://www.robben-island.org.za/

Country: South Africa

Focus: Education Officer of the Robben Island Museum in the Island Education Department and former political prisoner of Robben Island. His work includes developing education materials on prisoners and political imprisonment on the Island. He works with school children, college students, and adult educators. Robben Island Museum (RIM), operating as a site or living museum, aims to develop the island as a national and international heritage and conservation project for the new millennium. In managing its resources and activities, RIM strives to maintain the unique symbolism of the island, nurture creativity and innovation, and contribute to socio-economic development, the transformation of South African society and the enrichment of humanity.

Affiliation(s): Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), Johannesburg, South Africa; http://www.csvr.org.za/

Country: South Africa

Focus: Acting Manager of the Transitional Justice Program and Project Manager of the South African Disappearance Project (SADP) at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). SADP focuses on assisting families of people who disappeared during apartheid. It aims to document as many disappearance cases as possible, to undertake investigations in order to uncover the truth and/or remains where possible, to provide families with psychosocial support, to conduct advocacy and to develop creative healing rituals and products to remember the disappeared.

Affiliation(s): Voix d l’Handicape pour les Droits de l’Homme (VHDH)

Country: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Focus: Member of the Voice of the Handicapped for Human Rights (VHDH ), an organization that is focused on the issues of women and the vulnerable (the handicapped, underprivileged youth and the elderly) in order to promote their democratic participation in the management of the state so that it conforms to international legal instruments. VHDH is also concerned about transitional justice for women, disabled, and child soldiers. VHDH believes that these social layers make up an important group of the victims of war in the DRC, and that any steps toward peace must take into account the needs of these groups in connection with certain international legal instruments in order to lead to a satisfactory result. Recent work of the VHDH includes a public awareness campaign targeting soldiers and police officers on women's rights and the vulnerable groups in the DRC. The aim of the campaign is to avoid violence by contributing to the humanization of those in uniform because the DRC is in the midst of forming a new army.

Affiliation(s): Committee of the Families of the Disappeared in Algeria, Paris, France

Country: Algeria/France

Focus: President of the "Collective of the Families of Disappeared in Algeria." The Collective's mission is to gather testimonies and establish lists of disappearances. They aim to set up committees for the families of the "disappeared" in various regions across Algeria and campaign to raise awareness to inform international opinion about the gravity and scale of the problem of disappearances in Algeria. They help the families of victims by taking their cases to international and domestic institutions. The Collective is striving to create a coalition with other Algerian associations of victims in order to put pressure on the Algerian government to set up a "Truth and Justice Committee" inspired by transitional justice committees. A major goal of the Collective is to form an international coalition of associations of disappeared people, especially in the Arab world.

Affiliation(s): School of Communication, University of Hartford

Country: U.S.A.

Focus: Dr. Eillis works in communication processes associated with ethnopolitical conflict especially pertaining to dialogue groups and media. He is the author of numerous articles and books on related subjects of communication and conflict. Dr. Ellis was a Fulbright scholar in Israel during the 2004-2005 academic year and taught at Tel Aviv University. He is particularly interested in democratic communication, deliberative processes, and creating new public sphere on the internet.

Affiliation(s): Ahfad University for Women, Ahfad University for Women, School of Rural Extension, Education and Development, Sudan

Country: Sudan

Focus: A lecturer and a general coordinator for Rural Extension program at Ahfad University for Women - School of Rural Extension, Education and Development . She teaches and trains student about conflict resolution and its techniques and has conducted several workshops about conflict resolution and a culture of peace for different NGOs in Sudan.

Affiliation(s): Centre for the Research of Societal Problems (TOSAM), Ankara, Turkey
http://www.tosam.org/

Country: Turkey

Focus: President and founder of the Centre for the Research of Societal Problems (TOSAM), an organization dedicated to engaging and educating the public about the issues facing Turkey, such as the Kurdish question. The focus of TOSAM is to seek reconciliation between the Turkish and Kurdish citizens of Turkey, to disseminate the culture of democracy, and to sensitize society and the administration to the necessity of managing the multicultural reality of the country. Ergil is an expert on terrorism, European integration, and the Kurdish minority, and the author of several works on the Turkish political system, nationalism, conflict, and conflict resolution.

Affiliation(s): Corporación Región Medellín, Colombia
http://www.region.org.co/

Country: Colombia

Focus: President of Corporación Región , an organization that works to promote human rights, peace, democracy, equality, inclusion, and cultural diversity. Most recently the center engaged in the promotion of "Community Centers for Peaceful and Non-Violent Resolution of Conflicts," which operate in the most populated and conflict-ridden neighborhoods in the city of Medellin, Colombia.

Affiliation(s): The Hargeisa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO), Somaliland

Country: Somaliland

Focus: The Hargeisa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO) is a development organization founded in 1992, which respects the dignity and rights of the community by working through grassroots mobilization and participation. It addresses primarily the needs of youth, children, and women with social services, skill training, income generation, and advocacy initiatives in Somaliland. HAVOYOCO works to resolve resource and clan-based conflict, and performs mediation between clans in Somaliland.

Affiliation(s): Democracy Building and Conflict Management Program at the International IDEA, http://www.idea.int/conflict/index.cfm

Country: Sweden

Focus: Goran Fejic heads the Democracy Building and Conflict Management Program (DCM) of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The DCM program focuses on analyzing the complex inter-relationship between democracy, conflict, and human security. It supports the development of inclusive and participatory democratic constitution-making processes. To this end it has been engaged in analyzing the role of constitution-building processes in democratization and conflict prevention in conflict, post-conflict, and transitional settings. The Program also explores policies for sustainable reconciliation processes and facilitates the use of dialogue in democracy-building and conflict management.

Affiliation(s): ACCORD, Durban, South Africa
http://www.accord.org.za/web/home.htm

Country: South Africa

Focus: Founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD). Gounden is a mediator, trainer and researcher in the field of conflict resolution with extensive international experience. He has been involved in mediation work both in South Africa and on the Continent, including Somalia; has worked with former President Nelson Mandela in facilitating the role of civil society in the peace process in Burundi; and served as an advisor on strategy to former President Masire on the InterCongolese Dialogue Peace Process. He has also worked on preparing rebel groups for the negotiation process in Burundi, facilitated by the South African Government. In September 2005 he was the first member of an African NGO in the history of the United Nations Security Council to address the Council. In 2000 he was elected by the World Economic Forum as one of their Global Leaders for Tomorrow (GLT).

Affiliation(s): European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA)
http://www.awepa.org/

Country: Sweden

Focus: Vice-President of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) which works to support the functioning of parliaments in Africa and to keep Africa on the political agenda in Europe. It recognizes the key role of well-functioning parliaments with regards to democracy, human rights, and peaceful conflict management. It's goals include the attainment gender equality at all levels of political decision-making, African-European sharing of parliamentary experience, and the building of parliamentary networks at national, regional and inter-regional levels. AWEPA also informs and mobilizes European parliamentarians on policy issues in African-European relations, development cooperation and democratization in Africa.

Affiliation(s): Center for Democratic Development, Ghana (CDD-GHANA)

Country: Ghana

Focus: Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Democratic Development, a research think-tank for democratic development in Ghana and the West African sub-region. Gyimah-Boadi has consulted many organizations on the politics of economic reform, good governance, corruption, and democratic development in Africa.

Affiliation(s): Direct Action Centre for Peace and Memory (DACPM), Cape Town, South Africa
http://www.dacpm.org.za/

Country: South Africa

Focus: Director of the Direct Action Centre for Peace and Memory (DACPM). Henry is a former anti-Apartheid activist and military officer, as well as a social activist, intellectual and poet. He has written and published on the politics of memory, trauma, identity, sustainable peace and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He currently works with former combatants, political prisoners, and torture survivors at DACPM. The Direct Action Centre is a peace and human rights organisation whose mission is to work towards a society where peace and dignity are basic human rights for all. The DACPM works in the areas of peace building, peace education, and social awareness. It develops and runs post-conflict psycho-social reintegration programs for people affected by war, and promotes people-based knowledge and advocacy modalities.

Affiliation(s): World Movement for Democracy, Washington, DC, USA

Country: United States/Japan

Focus: As an Assistant Project Manager at the World Movement's Secretariat, Ryota Jonen has been helping develop various networks among democracy activists in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He also helps facilitate discussion on democracy issues among the activists and helped organize and facilitated training programs and workshops in East and West Africa. Before joining the World Movement, he helped various grass-roots organizations in organizing conferences and planning human rights education programs. While working with the International Peace Bureau, a Geneva-based peace organization, he helped organize a peace education conference in Geneva. Also, he has been involved with various international peace activities, including the Hague Appeal for Peace. He has also been a visiting speaker on the issues of post-conflict peacebuilding and human rights for high schools and non-governmental organizations in Liberia as well as for American University in Washington, DC. His main research interests include disarmament, human rights and post-conflict peacebuilding, with a particular emphasis on reconciliation. He has conducted extensive researches on these issues in Switzerland and Liberia. His article on post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation in Liberia has been published in Peace Research, a Canadian journal of peace studies. He holds Bachelor of Art in Political Science and International Studies and Master of Art in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University in Washington, D.C.

Affiliation(s): Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Pretoria , South Africa
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/

Country: South Africa

Focus: Chief research manager in the Society, Culture and Identity Research Program at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) of South Africa. Previously, he worked at the Center for Policy Studies, and was a research program manager at the Electoral Institute of South Africa. Mr. Kabemba's main areas of research include the political economy of sub-Saharan Africa with focus on southern and central Africa. He looks specifically at issues of democratization and governance, electoral politics, citizen participation, conflict, media, political parties, civil society, and social policies.

Affiliation(s): Voix d l’Handicape pour les Droits de l’Homme (VHDH), Democratic Republic of Congo

Country: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Focus: Member of the Voice of the Handicapped for Human Rights (VHDH ), an organization that is focused on the issues of women and the vulnerable (the handicapped, underprivileged youth and the elderly) in order to promote their democratic participation in the management of the state so that it conforms to international legal instruments. VHDH is also concerned about transitional justice for women, disabled, and child soldiers. VHDH believes that these social layers make up an important group of the victims of war in the DRC, and that any steps toward peace must take into account the needs of these groups in connection with certain international legal instruments in order to lead to a satisfactory result. Recent work of the VHDH includes a public awareness campaign targeting soldiers and police officers on women's rights and the vulnerable groups in the DRC. The aim of the campaign is to avoid violence by contributing to the humanization of those in uniform because the DRC is in the midst of forming a new army.

Affiliation(s): Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, Uganda

Country: Uganda

Focus: Member of the Foundation for Human Rights Imitative (FHRI), which is an advocacy organization whose mission is to enhance the knowledge, respect and observance of human rights, and to encourage the exchange of information and experiences through training, education, research, legislative advocacy, and networking.

Affiliation(s): Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT); OSILIGI - Hope for Maasai

Country: Kenya

Focus: Trainer in peace-building and conflict resolution. Kaunga works with OSILIGI, which is a local self-help initiative of Maasai clans formed to defend their traditional rights and living conditions while simultaneously reconciling them with neighboring tribes, the interests of the general public, district officials, and national government authorities.

Affiliation(s):The Internally Displaced Women's Association (IDPWA), "Consent," Tbilisi, Georgia

Country: Georgia

Focus: Chair person of the Internally Displaced Women's Association (IDPWA), based in Tbilisi, Georgia and one of three coordinators of IDEE’s Networking Women in the Caucasus program. The IDPWA has conducted extensive surveys to determine the psychological, social and health needs of displaced women and children throughout Georgia. It has also published children's peace magazine, organized skills-building and leadership-training seminars for women in several major IDP locales, and has focused on peace-building by training IDP leaders in various alternative conflict resolution methods and by organising a multicultural peace camp for youth. At the moment, the IDPWA is organizing the Commission of Multicultural Dialogue and Understanding to promote peaceful resolutions of existing conflicts and the inclusion of IDPs and minorities in social and political life.

Affiliation(s): City Year - South Africa, Marshalltown, South Africa
http://www.cityyear.org/southafrica

Country: South Africa

Focus: Program Director for City Year South Africa, an organization dedicated to building democracy through citizen service, civic leadership, and social entrepreneurship. Lillienfeldt previously served as Program Manager with UNICEF-Bangladesh, where he worked with organizations addressing employment skills for children in exploitative labor and HIV/AIDS. He also served as a senior trainer and mediator at Mediation Transformation Practice, a Cape Town-based organization focusing on post-conflict reconstruction, HIV/AIDS, and nation-building. He currently designs youth development training and develops curricula on conflict resolution, community development, after schools programs, and democracy in order to integrate and strengthen the efforts of those working toward peace and democratization.

Affiliation(s): Senior Nigerian journalist based in Lagos, Nigeria

Country: Nigeria

Focus: Senior Nigerian journalist based in Lagos, Editor-in-Chief of the Gleaner News online, and also a reporter with the New York Times. Iyare has written a special report on Nigeria for the Wall Street Journal and edited the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) document on Nigeria for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) where he is engaged as an Editor/Correspondent Consultant. He has written extensively on issues such as democracy, development, conflict, the environment, gender, international relations, politics, and other social issues. He has recently co-authored a book titled, The 11 Day Siege: Gains and Challenges of Women's Non-Violent Struggles in the Niger Delta.

Affiliation(s): Mouvement des Peuples pour l'Education aux Droits Humains; People's Decade of Human Rights Education (PDHRE) -Mali

Country: Mali

Focus: Executive Secretary for the Movement of People for Human Rights Education and a member of the People's Decade of Human Rights Education (PDHRE), an organization dedicated to publishing and disseminating demand-driven human rights training manuals and teaching materials, and to servicing grassroots and community groups engaged in a creative, contextualized process of human rights learning, reflection, and action. PDHRE views human rights as a value system capable of strengthening democratic communities and nations through its emphasis on accountability, reciprocity, and people's equal and informed participation in the decisions that affect their lives.

Affiliation(s): Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), Johannesburg, South Africa
http://www.wits.ac.za/csvr/

Country: South Africa

Focus: Community facilitator for the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) in South Africa, Ollie Mahopo focuses on issues of transition and reconciliation. CSVR's mission is to develop and implement innovative and integrated human security interventions based upon a commitment to social justice and fundamental rights for people who are vulnerable or excluded. CSVR pursues these goals as essential to the prevention of violence in all its forms and the construction of sustainable peace and reconciliation in societies emerging from violent pasts - in South Africa, on the African continent and globally.

Affiliation(s): Panorama Center for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development, Jerusalem, http://www.panoramacenter.org

Country: Palestine

Focus: Director General of Panorama, the Center for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development. The center works to contribute to community development and to promote issues that are related to the relationship between the citizen and the society as a means to build a pluralistic Palestinian civil society. Its programs and activities aim to raise the awareness of the Palestinian people about democratic concepts and notions of the civil society. Panorama is actively working to promote democracy, human rights, and public participation in decision-making processes that are based on the concept of the freedom of expression.

Affiliation(s): Electoral Institute of South Africa (EISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
http://www.eisa.org.za

Country: Lesotho

Focus: Research Director at the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) who has written extensively on electoral system reform, democracy and stability in South Africa, HIV/AIDS, and development.

Affiliation(s): International Crisis Group
http://www.crisisgroup.org

Country: USA

Focus: West Africa Project Director for the International Crisis Group, a think tank working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve conflicts. He leads the West Africa team in its research on Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Sahelian region from Mauritania to Chad. Most of this research focuses on attempts to reconstruct working political systems in the aftermath of the recent wars in the Sierra Leone-Liberia-Côte d'Ivoire region, and the threat of an outbreak of new fighting both in these countries and in Guinea. Recent work also analyzes emerging trends in the relationship between religion, society and politics in the Sahelian region, especially in the context of the American Pan Sahel Initiative. McGovern frequently briefs representatives of foreign ministries and international organizations, and he is regularly involved in Crisis Group advocacy efforts in the U.S. and Europe.

Affiliation(s): The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), Durban, South Africa; http://www.accord.org.za/web/home.htm

Country: South Africa

Focus: Manager of ACCORD's Peace and Security Unit, which includes the Training for Peace (TfP) in Africa Program and the African Civil-Military Co-ordination (CIMIC) Program. Mngqibisa's area of interest is in civilian peacekeeping and CIMIC in particular. His activities include training peacekeepers in conflict management and giving presentations on peacekeeping and conflict management issues.

Affiliation(s): Researcher at the South African Parliament

Country: South Africa

Focus: Formerly an ACCORD staffer, Tshiliso Molukanele is a researcher at the South African parliament. He has also worked as a researcher at the South African Human Rights Commission. As a trainer and facilitator, he has conducted numerous workshops on human rights and trained NGOs on the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act and World Vision’s East Africa Network of Peace Builders. His interests include development studies and international trade.

Affiliation(s): Former Minister of Human Rights, Burundi

Country: Burundi

Focus: Consultant in capacity-building, conflict resolution, peace-building, post-war reconstruction, reconciliation, and state building. Previously, in his capacity as a minister, Nindorera was in charge of institutional reforms and relations between the Government and the Parliament. He also served as the first President of the"Iteka" League, a human rights association in Burundi.

Affiliation(s): Bosabosele Consulting, South Africa

Country: South Africa

Focus: Head of Bosabosele's Directorate of project management. A lawyer by training, Kimani has worked for a number of organizations, including the NICRO Women's Support Centre, the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL), the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), and the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI). Kimani has conducted research on refugees and their housing problems in South Africa, old age pensions, disability grants, reparations, and community media sustainability. He has also written training modules on social welfare and private maintenance, and held workshops with a range of institutions including the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu); the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu); civil society organizations and community radio stations across South Africa.

Affiliation(s): Justice Development and Peace Commission, Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Nigeria

Country: Nigeria

Focus: Head of the Good Governance/Conflict Monitoring Unit of the Justice Development and Peace Commission, Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Nigeria. The Unit's main activities are focused on facilitating the process of public accountability and effective service delivery on the part of the government, while promoting a culture of responsibility and dialogue on the part of the citizenry. Omilusi's unit is also involved in peace-building and conflict management arising from the democratic process in Nigeria. They hold town-hall meetings between public office holders and civil society members, and engage in budget monitoring, election observation, and monthly publication of their activities and government policies as they affect the populace.

Affiliation(s): Centre Party International Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden

Country: Sweden

Focus: Former Under-Secretary of State for Sweden who works now at the Centre Party International Foundation (CPIF). The aim of CPIF is to promote democracy, alleviate poverty, work for peaceful conflict resolution, human rights, conduct information and awareness-raising activities, and to combat environmental degradation.

Affiliation(s): World Movement for Democracy, Washington, DC, USA

Country: United States/Armenia

Focus: Project Coordinator at the World Movement for Democracy's Secretariat. Anna Pkrhikian-Kyrou serves as a liaison to World Movement participants from Central Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucuses, and Central Asia to Build and strengthen networks, facilitate exchange of knowledge, experience, and information among various sectors of society involved in democracy promotion. She also facilitates functional networking on conflict resolution and democracy, democracy information and communication, and women's networking. She holds a Masters of Arts in International Relations with focus on Conflict Resolution. She has experience in conducting conflict resolution and peer mediation workshops for high school students. She has also developed and tested curriculum and material on negotiations training tailored for undergraduate students, conducted trainings in negotiations and interpersonal conflict resolution, served as facilitator at a community fora on violence prevention.

Affiliation(s): International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights and Democracy), Canada, http://www.dd-rd.ca

Country: Canada

Focus: Human Rights legal anthropologist working as a consultant with Rights and Democracy in Montreal, and for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Remond has worked for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kenya's refugee camps and in Canada. She was on the management team for Monia Mazigh's 2004 federal election campaign (noted Canadian human rights defender), and has worked as a human rights researcher to Canadian Senator. She has won an international award for feminist anthropology, and recently worked with the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights studies in the Gambia. Areas of focus include human rights and conflict resolution, gender analysis, and refugee rights. Current areas of research include democratic development, women's rights in Africa, multinational corporations, and conflict resolution.

Affiliation(s): Hargeisa Team – Youth Movement for Democracy – Somaliland

Country: Somaliland

Focus: Leader of the Hargeisa Team -Youth Movement for Democracy - Somaliland, which is a local team of the Youth Movement for Democracy. The Hargeisa Team works to secure young people’s participation in decision-making in all areas affecting their lives. The Team believes that no vision of sustainable development, peace, justice and respect of human rights and promotion of democracy can be achieved without the involvement of young people, and that democracy in action is a resolution of conflict.

Affiliation(s): The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), Durban, South Africa; http://www.accord.org.za/web/home.htm

Country: South Africa

Focus: Deputy Director responsible for the Administration and Human Resources Division at ACCORD's National Office. He has extensive experience in administration and fundraising and is a trainer, facilitator and mediator in the field of conflict resolution.

Affiliation(s): International Center for Transnational Justice (ICTJ), Cape Town, South Africa; New York
http://www.ictj.org

Country: South Africa

Focus: Country Program Unit Director in the International Center for Transnational Justice (ICTJ). He has worked extensively on issues related to transitional justice, including the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and on the transformation of criminal justice institutions in South Africa. Graeme Simpson was a founder, and from 1995-2005, Executive Director of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in Johannesburg. He was one of the drafters of the National Crime Prevention Strategy, adopted by the South African cabinet in May 1996, as well as a member of the drafting team for the South African White Paper on Safety and Security. Simpson has worked as a consultant to both governmental and non-governmental organizations in various countries, including Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Bosnia and Indonesia.

Affiliation(s): Young Women's Association of Manniema (AJFMa), Democratic Republic of Congo

Country: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Focus: The Young Women's Association of Manniema (AJFMa) focuses on strengthening the ability of woman to raise awareness of their role in modern society in Maniema. They educate the public about the impact of women in the process of the peaceful resolution of intertribal conflict and on the benefits of peace and the dangers of war for young people. AJFMa organizes education campaigns on democracy, peace, and human rights which aim to change people's mentalities and manners and gradually lead to a democratic culture. AJFMa advocates for the integration of concepts of democracy, peace and humans rights into the school syllabus. AJFMa emphasizes the organization of a reliable and rigorous judicial power within the framework of the establishment of a Rule of Law in the DRC.