WEI Fellows

weinstitute fellows

The World Engagement Institute fellows include academics (distinguished professors and international researchers) and practitioners (senior and international fellows). They also include research fellows associated with the projects and activities of the WEInstitute. The research and pragmatic nature of the institute value the wealth of the academic excellency and international competencies of our fellows. Their entrepreneurship, innovation and seasoned fieldwork in the fields of international human rights, development and diplomacy among others enrich the international connection mission of the WEInstitute. Their individual expertise, when connected with others of diverse regions and fields can stimulate and develop solutions for complex issues through international exchanges and collaborations. Their diverse expertise is also an asset for delivering sustainable, empowering and cost-effective capacity building and international training programs. The list includes distinguished and research academic fellows, senior and junior professional international fellows and other research fellows linked to the WEInstitute activities.

Prof. Dr. Faqir Muhammad Anjum, PhD (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz)

Prof. Dr. Faqir Muhammad Anjum, PhD (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) is currently serving as the Director of the Institute of Home & Food Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan. He is an internationally recognized food scientist, with over 38 years of teaching and research experience, and is the author of numerous highly cited publications (232), research projects (16) and books (20 books and 2 proceedings). Dr. Anjum previously served as the founding Director General of the Pakistan National Institute of Food Science and Technology, UAF. In this position, he provided leadership in academic excellence by initiating six new degree programs viz B.Sc. (Hons.) Food Science & Technology, B.Sc. (Hons.) Human Nutrition & Dietetics, B.Sc. Food Science & Nutrition, M.Sc. (Hons.) Food Safety & Quality Management, M.Sc. (Hons.) Food Service Managment and M.Sc. (Hons.) Dairy Technology. He also started a new Post Graduate Diploma Program in “Food Safety & Controls” with the collaboration of UNIDO. Dr. Anjum has strong management skills and senior-level experience gained in a complex institution, as well as the ability to bring them to bear in a democratic, self-governing university. During his tenure he has made untiring and dedicated efforts to raise status of Department of Food Technology into National Institute of Food Science & Technology. He has the ability to provide leadership to the university by his academic worth, administrative competence and moral stature. Moreover, he is a member of many international professional organizations. He is also President of Pakistan Society of Food Scientist & Technologists. He won many prestigious awards i.e. Tamgha-iImtiaz, APO National Award, Best Teacher Award, Quaid-e-Azam Gold Medal Award & Pride of Performance. He has awarded gold medal from Pakistan Society of Food Scientist and Technologist (PSFST). During his career, he has organized and participated in multiple international conferences, seminars and symposiums. He has made strong linkages with public and private sectors through signing MOU’s with industries i.e. Engro Foods Ltd, Vita Bread Ltd, Nestle Pakistan and Government Sector i.e. Punjab Food Authority. He has developed different innovative technologies i.e. Development of high protein, high lysine barley lines, Production of Omega-3 rich eggs for cholesterol conscious consumers. Pizza Hut appreciated his research work done in their sponsored project and is saving foreign exchange as a result of the Pizza flour developed locally by introducing indigenous technology. He has established Extrusion Centre in University of Agriculture, Faisalabad under Pak-US Joint Program. He has also provided services to international and national organizations i-e USAID, UNIDO, GAIN and MI as coordinator, facilitator, advisor and consultant. He has produced 35 Ph.D. scholars and 116 M.Sc. (Hons) students in his discipline. Dr. Anjum holds two PhD degrees; one from Kansas State University, USA and other from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

_Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry, Ph.D.

Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry is a Founding Board Member and President of the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®), an internationally respected not-for-profit halal- certification organization. Featured in various media such as The Wall Street Journal, Prepared Foods, and CNN, Dr. Chaudry is a pioneer in the field. Under his guidance, IFANCA has become a world leader in halal certification, with more than 22,000 certified products for 2,200 companies. Clients include industry leaders such as Nestle, PepsiCo, Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson, Firmenich and Hershey International, in industries as diverse as flavors and pharmaceuticals. IFANCA halal certified products are sold in every nation. Besides IFANCA, Dr. Chaudry is a food industry veteran with expertise in various technical and management positions. Here he has been responsible for quality assurance, human resources and employee training. He is the author of several papers and co-author of Halal Food Production, the single most widely used text on halal certification. He is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists and an expert consultant to the World Organization for Animal Health. A delegate for the UN International Trade Center and the American Spice Trade Association, he has conducted food safety workshops internationally. He has his PhD from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in Food Science.

_Prof. Dr. Sc. Davor Derencinovic, Ph.D.

Prof.dr.sc. Davor Derencinovic Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Law, Second Vice-President of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). Davor Derencinovic is a Croatian national. He graduated from Zagreb University with a Master of Laws Degree in Criminal Law. He also completed post-doctoral research in International Terrorism, Organized Crime and Human Rights at the International Human Rights Law Institute of DePaul University and holds a PhD. in criminal law sciences. His work experience has progressively developed in the academic field, where he started as a teaching assistant in Criminal Law and Criminology at the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University and eventually became assistant professor in Criminal Law and Criminology. Currently Mr. Derencinovic holds the position of professor of Criminal Law and Criminology teaching at graduate and postgraduate levels. He participates in drafting various laws concerning the prevention and suppression of organized crime and trafficking in human beings. Mr. Derencinovic is also Secretary General of the Croatian Academy of Legal Sciences (an academic NGO) and President of the Croatian Association for Criminal Law and Practice. He is a member of the Court of Honour of the Society of University and other Scholars and a national consultant for the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime.

PROF. DR. MAHMUD DUWAYRI, PH.D.

Dr. Mahmud Duwayri, PhD, is a senior Jordanian Diplomat and Educator. He currently serves as Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. He is also Editor in Chief, Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences (An International Refereed Journal issued by Higher Scientific Research Committee of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Deanship of Academic Research, University of Jordan). Dr. Duwayri previously served as the Jordanian Minister of Agriculture (2001-2002), as well as Director, Plant Production and Protection Division, for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy (1998- 2001). Likewise, he served as Vice President of the Jordan University for Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan (1996-1998); and worked as a consultant for several regional and international agencies in the fields of agriculture development and policy, scientific research and higher education development. In addition, Dr. Duwayri represented the Middle East and North Africa Region in several scientific commissions and agricultural forums. He cooperated and is acquainted with the CGIAR Centers mainly ICARDA, ISNAR, CIMMYT and IPGRI. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Rome, Italy; as well as for the Consultative Scientific Committee, Arab Atomic Energy Organization, Tunisia; and of the Higher Council for Agriculture, Jordan. He also served as President of Higher Council for Agriculture, Jordan and the chair of the National Steering Committee on Agriculture Research and Technology Transfer, Jordan. Dr. Duwayri received his B.Sc. in Agriculture; Soils and Irrigation in 1968, his M.Sc. in Agronomy; Weed Control in 1970 from the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, and PhD in plant breeding and plant genetics in 1973 from University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.

Dr. Anwer Jaff, Ph.D.

Dr. Anwer Jaff, Ph.D. is a Co-Founder of the Iraqi Dialogue Institute (IDI), a non-partisan, not-for-profit NGO that works to transform the world into a global community by fostering interreligious and intercultural scholarship, understanding and cooperation. The IDI accomplishes this by training religious, civic and academic leaders in the skills of critical thinking and respectful dialogue so that they can build sustained relationships across lines of religious and cultural difference. Dr. Jaff is also a Professor of Law at Sulaimani University, al-Suleimaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq. Between 2004 and 2010 he served as the Head of the Sulaimani University College of Law. He is currently a candidate for the Iraqi Parliament’s Commission on Human Rights and routinely serves as a consulting subject matter expert on the human rights interface between Islamic (Shar’ia) and Civil Law. Dr. Jaff’s many publications include: Promoting a Culture of Nonviolence in Dealing with the Other, Bayt al-Hikma Cultural Center (2012); 9/11 and the Genocide in Halabja: A Comparison (2011); Strengthening the Security Agreement Between the US and Iraq and Its Influence on the Kurdistan Region - a Legalistic and Realistic Perspective, Eêl Beg al-Jaff Cultural Center (2010); and A Review of the Legitimacy of the Iraqi Constitution, Elections, and the Role of the Media, Eêl Beg al-Jaff Cultural Center (2005). He holds a B.A. and M.A in Islamic and Civil Law from the Baghdad University, and received his Ph.D. from the College of Islamic Sciences, Baghdad (2006).

_Dr. Professor Barnabas Otaala, Ph.D.

Dr. Professor Barnabas Otaala, Ph.D., currently serve as Dean of Education at African Educational Research Network. He is also a Professor at Uganda Martyrs' University. Dr. Otaala is Professor Emeritus of the University of Namibia and Adjunct Professor at the International University of Management, Windhoek. He is a graduate of London University where he earned his B.A. degree. He did his postgraduate studies at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA, where he earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Professor Otaala previously worked at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya; the University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana; and the National Teacher College (now a College of Education) Maseru, Lesotho. He is an Educational Psychologist, with an interest and specialisation in early childhood education. His current area of interest is children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. During a 30 year plus career in Early Childhood Care and Development, Professor Otaala has concentrated on the African continent. However, he has also advised at an international level. He has been especially involved as an international adviser in the use of the child-to-child approached developed by the Child-to-Child Trust at the Institute of Education, University of London. He holds a B.A. (London) degree and a Dip.Ed. (East Africa) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. He also holds M.A. (Developmental Psychology) and Ed.D. (Educational Psychology) from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York (USA). He was Professor of Educational Psychology and Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of Namibia until the end of December 1998. During 1995 – 1998, he was also the Dean of Education, University of Namibia.

_Dr. Zarije Seizovic, Ph.D.

Zarije Seizovic had graduated from the Sarajevo Faculty of Law and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Sciences. He worked as a Professor of Public International Law and EuropeanUnion Law at the Faculty of Law of theUniversity of Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also worked as a lawyer in the War Crimes Chamber of the BiH State Court, Coordinator of the Administrative Procedure Review within the EU project “System Review of the Public Administration Institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. He served as Legal Counsel in a number of international organizations such as OSCE and UN Missions to BiH as well as International Crisis Group (ICG). He also workedas an Attorney-at-Law, Criminal Court Judge and Registrar of the Constitutional Court of the Federation of BiH. As consultant and/or trainer he was involved in a number of judicial and public administration reform projects in BiH and abroad. He is the author of four books in English and national language/s as well as over 40 articles published in BiH and in foreign countries. Currently works as Professor of International Humanitarian Law, Law of Defence and Security and Public International Law at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Dr. DAVID A. SADOFF, J.D., Ph.D.

Dr. David A. Sadoff is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (Penn Law) in Philadelphia; a Senior Legal Adviser with the Geneva-based International Bridges to Justice (IBJ); and a consultant with LCS Global Group. Previously, he served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL) at Penn Law; General Counsel of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), a Rome-based intergovernmental organization; Nepal Country Director for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI); Deputy Legal Adviser and Director for Intelligence Reform with the U.S. National Security Council (NSC); Assistant General Counsel for the CIA; Litigation Associate with Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, D.C.; and Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State. He is a non-resident Senior Fellow with the Montreal-based Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) and the Washington, DC-based Enough Project. He has published Bringing International Fugitives to Justice: Extradition and Its Alternatives (Cambridge University Press 2016) and a number of journal articles on international law. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University, a Ph.D in Public International Law and an LL.M in International Humanitarian Law from the Université de Genève, an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Prof. Dr. Sc. Lee Van Cam, Ph.D.

Prof. Dr. Sc. Le Van Cam serves the Director of the Vietnamese Centre for Criminal Law-Criminology, School of Law, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The Centre is a partnership between international academics, legal practitioners and members of the Vietnamese Government, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuracy and the private sector. The Centre's mission is to promote the development of cutting-edge criminological research, education and criminal justice policy, as well as to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement, crime prevention and the treatment of offenders. To accomplish this, the Centre pursues an innovative programme of criminal and criminological research and delivers world-class graduate education in criminal law and criminology. Prof. Dr. Sc. Le Van Cam is also the Head of the Criminal Justice Department, School of Law, National University of Vietnam at Hanoi (September 2008 – present) and the Editor-in-Chief of the “Law & Development Journal of Vietnam Lawyers' Association." Additionally, he is the Head of the Division on Criminal Justice, Faculty of Law, Hanoi National University. He previously served as Dean of the Law Faculty of Law at the National University of Vietnam (April 2000- September 2008). Dr. Sc. Le Van Cam received his Bachelor of Law degree from Azecbaidan National University, Bacu City, Soviet Union (1982); his Ph.D. in Law from Tbilisi National University, Tbilisi City, Georgia, Soviet Union, (1988); and his Doctorate of Science in Law from Tbilisi National University, Tbilisi City, Georgia, Soviet Union (1994). He is the author of 259 scientific studies, including books and articles in special journals, in three areas: criminal justice; judicature power; and theory of rule of law.

Prof. Dr. Petrus C. Van Duyne, Ph.D.

Prof. Dr. Petrus C. van Duyne, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Empirical Penal Science at the University of Tilburg, the Netherlands. As a psychologist and jurist, he an expert in the fields of organized crime, financial investigation, money-laundering and corruption. He is renowned for his strictly analytic and critical approach, as well as his fiercely independent methods. He has published extensively on these subjects. Dr. van Duyne previously served as Senior Advisor for the Dutch Criminal Intelligence Service, The Hague. He also served as Senior Researcher for the Netherlands Ministry of Justice, Research Department. He is the co-founder of the annual Western-Central European Colloquium; an academic series that brings together the World’s experts on international organised (economic) crime to discuss the latest developments in empirical research, legislation and law enforcement, with a special geographical focus on Western, Central, and Eastern Europe. The Colloquium builds bridges in three respects: between Eastern and Western Europe; between scholars and practitioners; and between old and young. Dr. van Duyne remains active in conducting financial investigations and studying cross-border organized drug trafficking in Europe. Further, working with the Freie Universität Berlin, he is continuing his study of European cigarette smuggling. Working with the National Academy of Public Administration, he is investigating Corruption in the Romanian Judiciary. And he is finalizing a project for the EU on organized crime and excise smuggling. Dr. van Duyne recently completed Phase II of his independent research into phenomena surrounding Serbian State sanctioned corruption. Dr. van Duyne received his Doctorate from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

Prof. Dr. LORENZA VIOLINI, Ph.D.

Dr. Lorenza Violini is the full professor of Constitutional and Comparative Law at the L'Università di Milano (University of Milan), Italy. An expert in the field of Human Rights, she has also taught Public Law and European Constitutional Law at the University of Pavia, Faculty of Economics (1992-2002) and European Integration at the University of Budapest (1993-1995). She was a teaching assistant at the University of Illinois, Law School (1982-1983) were she took classes on Fundamental Rights, Equal Protection (Affirmative Action) and Federalism. In 1983 she received her Masters Degree in Comparative Law. As a research assistant, she completed the Ph.D. Program at the School of Law, Albert Ludwings Universität (Freiburg in Breisgau-Germany; 1980-1982). In 1992 she received the title of “Jean Monnet Professor” from the European Commission. She haS given classes in several masters programs (Diritto e comunicazione, University of Milan; Economia e gestione delle organizzazioni non profit; Master in cooperazione allo sviluppo, University of Pavia; European studies and global affaire, ASERI, Milan) and has been invited to give lectures, among others, at the University of Freiburg, Nice, Bari and Barcellona. In 2010 Dr. Violini was invited by the Council of Europe to discuss at the Parliamentary Assembly on The social consequences of the economic crisis. She has also been invited by the European Centre for Law and Justice to participate in the seminar on L’exposition des symboles religieux et culturels dans la sphère publique (Strasbourg, April 2010). She is member of the Editorial Board of several Italian legal journals such as Le Regioni, Rassegna di diritto pubblico europeo, Italian Journal of Public Law. She is also member of several italian and foreign Accademic Law Associations such as AIC (Associazione Italiana dei Costituzionalisti), AEI (Arbeitskreis Europaiescher Integration) and AUSE (Associazione Universitaria Studi Europei). Dr. Violini is currently a Member of the Governmental Commission of the Enactment of the Fiscal Federalism and Commission of constitutional reforms. Her teaching and research is in Constitutional Law and Equal Protection Law, Administrative Law, Regional Law, European Law, Comparative law. She has had books and several articles published in these areas.

MS. souad Ajan, M.A.

Ms. Souad Ajan is a Middle East/North Africa (MENA) economic development and strategic planning expert. She currently serves as the Founder and Director of “Syrian American Voice Empowerment (SAVE), an Illinois non-sectarian, non-governmental, non-profit, organization that provides organizational development and strategic planning technical assistance for domestic and international non-profit organizations. Prior to emigrating from Syria to the United States, Ms. Ajan served as Deputy Director of Strategic Planning for the Syrian Ministry of Industry, Damascus, Syria (2004 – 2011). In this capacity, she: served as the Syrian government representative monitoring the implementation of the Charter of The European Commission in Brussels; served as the senior Staff Member in the Syrian Department of Economic Development, working to transition Syria from a socialist system to a market-based economy; and developed the Syrian plan of action for developing Small-Medium Enterprises. In addition, she served as: the Economic Advisor for the Syrian Business Incubator (2005 – 2011); Assistant Pre ofessor, Damascus University, where she taught business management (2002– 2011); Head of External Trade, General Organization for Tobacco, Damascus, Syria (2001-2003); and Financial Manager, Financial Manager, Beta Establishment, Lattakia, Syria (1997-2001). Ms. Ajan obtained her Bachelor of Artsdegree in Economics from Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria; She obtained her Master’s in Business Administration degree from Fontbonne University, St. Louis, Mo, USA.

Mr. Steven W. Becker, J.D.

Steven W. Becker is one of the founding members of the law firm of Becker Stephenson LLC in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in criminal defense, appellate practice, and civil rights litigation. Mr. Becker previously worked as an Assistant Appellate Defender at the Office of the State Appellate Defender in Chicago, where he prepared criminal appeals and presented oral argument in the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court. Mr. Becker is licensed to practice law in Illinois, the District of Columbia, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He practices regularly in both state and federal court. Mr. Becker graduated cum laude from the DePaul University College of Law, earning a Certificate in International and Comparative Law, as well as Order of the Coif and Order of the Barrister honors. In addition, he served on the DePaul Law Review, where his student article on the federal Privacy Act and the First Amendment was selected for publication. He likewise served as Note Editor for DePaul’s Center for Church-State Studies’ influential treatise on religious liberty and the law. Mr. Becker also taught as an Adjunct Professor at the DePaul University College of Law. Mr. Becker has lectured extensively throughout Europe and the Balkans, as well as in Russia, China, and Brazil, on topics of domestic and international criminal law. In 2008, he was selected as a Fulbright Senior Specialist grantee for Croatia, where he lectured at the University of Zagreb Law School. Since 2003, he has served as the moot court coordinator for the annual specialization course in international criminal law for young international lawyers held at the Istituto Superiore Internazionale di Scienze Criminali in Siracusa, Italy. Mr. Becker formerly served as the Co-editor in Chief of the Revue Internationale de Droit Pénal, a comparative international law journal published in France, and currently serves as Deputy Secretary General of the International Association of Penal Law. Mr. Becker has authored more than 30 law review articles and book chapters on various legal topics, ranging from police torture and DNA testing to the Nuremburg Trials and universal jurisdiction. His articles have been translated into Croatian, French, Portuguese, and Romanian. In 2008, Mr. Becker co-edited a book with Croatian law professor Davor Derenčinović entitled International Terrorism: The Future Unchained?

Ms. Melanne Civic, Esq., J.D., LL.M.

Ms. Civic is an attorney and expert in Rule of Law, Security Sector Reform (SSR), human rights, and environmental change, currently serving as Director of Operations for the US Department of International Legal Studies. She previously served as the Principal Rule of Law Officer, United Nations Mission in Liberia. Previously, as the Senior Rule of Law Advisor to the Secretary of State’s Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS), she coordinated responses in fragile states, and was the Department of State's lead for Rule of Law for Military Support to Governance. From 2006-2009, she was a pivotal force creating and establishing the Civilian Response Corps, a US government interagency expeditionary capacity. In 2009, she was seconded to the National Defense University, Center for Complex Operations as the Special Advisor and core senior staff establishing a new office embodying the comprehensive approach to peacebuilding. Previously, she also served in the Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser for Human Rights & Refugees; the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of State, and was a Congressional Fellow to the late Senator Kennedy on the Judiciary Committee, and to the House Science Committee on energy security and climate change. Beyond government service, she worked for several UN and NGOs on cutting edge initiatives. As a practitioner scholar, she is an adjunct professor and co-editor of books, and authored book chapters and law review articles. She is certified in international human rights law from the Rene Cassin Institute; holds an LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center; a JD as Fellow at the Urban Morgan Center for Human Rights, University of Cincinnati College of Law, and a Bachelor's from Vassar College. She is founder and co-Chair Emeritus of the ASIL Transitional Justice and Rule of Law group, and serves on the boards of Women in International Security; the Vassar College Alumni Association, and the ABA Steering Committees for Women in International Law and International Environmental Law.

Dr. Christopher Cyr, Ph.D.

Dr. Christopher Cyr, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Scientist at OCLC, Dublin, Ohio. OCLC is a global library cooperative that supports thousands of libraries, in over 100 countries, make information more accessible and more useful to people around the world. To accomplish this, it provides shared technology services, original research and community programs that help libraries meet the needs of their users, institutions and communities. Dr. Cyr previously served as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Eastern Kentucky University, where he taught courses on international relations, terrorism, global security, and United States foreign policy. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2015, and his BA from Ohio State in 2007. His dissertation, titled “Potential Fighting Capability and State Concessions: A Study of Violent Rebellion and Nonviolent Resistance,” looked at the reasons some groups engage in violent rebellion and others engage in nonviolent resistance when they try to make major political change in their country. He also conducted research on the civilian experience during civil war, the impact of drug cultivation on civil war, and women’s employment in conflict-affected countries. Prior to joining the faculty at EKU, he was an ABD Fellow at the One Earth Future Foundation, where he conducted research on issues of global governance, peace, and security.

Rev. Karin Dickman

Reverend Karen Dickman is the Executive Director of the Institute for Multi-State Diplomacy (IMTD). The mission of IMTD is to promote a systems-based approach to peacebuilding and facilitate the transformation of deeply-rooted social conflict. The Institute is based in Arlington, VA, and has more than 1300 members in 31 countries. Karen is a mediator/conflict professional specializing in restorative justice. Her background is in working with people with AIDS, mental illness, ex-offenders, and victims of violent crimes. She has worked in jails and prisons and is a frequent speaker at conferences and universities on religion and restorative justice. Karen also manages IMTD's partnership with Sovereignty First and oversees IMTD's Water Program.

Dr. Michael J. Dziedzic, ph.d.

Dr. Michael J. Dziedzic is a retired Air Force veteran with over 20 years of experience as a practitioner and scholar in the international stabilization field. His field experience includes postings in a number of societies emerging from protracted conflict, including El Salvador, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. His scholarly positions have included Professor of Political Science at the Air Force Academy, Professor at the National War College, and Adjunct Professor for Peace and Stability Operations at Georgetown University. He was a Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Institute for National Strategic Studies, and a Senior Program Officer U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). At USIP he developed a foundational course on peace and stability operations for practitioners. He boasts over 25 publications including works that have shaped the way the U.S. approaches stability operations: Policing the New World Disorder identified a recurring “public security gap” in international interventions which led to the creation of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units; Quest for Viable Peace proposed that “conflict transformation” is the essence of the transition from war to sustainable peace, and this concept was adopted by the State Department’s Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization as the paradigm for U.S. strategic planning and was incorporated into the U.S. Army Field Manual 3-07 on Stability Operations. His forthcoming work, Overlooked Enemies of Peace: Subduing Illicit Power Structures, is being completed in collaboration with the US Institute of Peace. He specializes in issues of international peace and security, peace and stability operations, the rule of law, transnational security threats, and strategic planning.

Mr. Amos Gill

Amos Gil has 20 years experience in building, managing, and expanding highly visible and influential non-profit organizations in the area of social change. Amos is the Founding Executive Director of Ir-Amim (“City of Peoples”, “City of Nations”), an Israeli not-for-profit which specializes in the unique circumstances of Jerusalem in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prior to his 5 years at Ir Amim, Amos served for 4 years as the first Executive Director of CBST – Congregation Beth Simchat Torah – in Manhattan, the world’s largest gay and lesbian Jewish congregation. Amos also served for 6 years as the first Executive Director of ACRI - The Association for Civil Rights in Israel – Israel’s oldest and leading human right’s group. Amos serves as an organizational consultant (capacity-building) to various not-for-profits across the United States as well as in Israel, and is likewise a business consultant to private enterprises in the Midwest area. Amos’s other work experience includes ten years in the Israeli high-tech market in senior management positions. Amos is a Captain (Res.) in the Israeli Defense Force and has also served as Captain in the Israeli Police Headquarters. In addition to Amos Gil’s organizational experience, he has taught in a number of educational settings, including The Harris School at the University of Chicago, DePaul University, and Tel Aviv University. He has also led seminars and workshops for leading Jewish organizations and Synagogues in cities across the US. Amos has a BA degree from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem with a major in humanities – philosophy and history of the Middle East, and also holds an MA in the Management of not-for-profits.

Ms. Wafa A. Hanania M.A.

Earning her M.A. degree in Social Anthropology and her B.A in economics, Mrs. Hanania started her career with the Queen Alia Fund in Jordan combining her training as an economist and anthropologist in the design and implementation of community development programs, micro-loans and income-generating projects in the most impoverished areas in Jordan. Her experience in International Development started when she was hired by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). Her work at the GTZ focused on shifting the emphasis in the design and implementation of large scale rural development projects away from the macroeconomics of agricultural sector to studying the socio economic structures of the rural population at the micro level. Recruited by the U.N.’s International Labor Organization (ILO) she moved to its’ headquarters in Geneva. She provided advisory services and technical support to 22 Arab States in the fields of labor laws, vocational training, rehabilitation and employment of disabled people. Working with other multidisciplinary teams from different International Agencies such as WB, WMF, UNDP and FAO she became an expert in the design of policies and projects to mitigate the negative impact of implementing economic structural reform programs on the most vulnerable segments of society mainly children, women and the disabled. Moving to the U.S., she joined the Consulate of Jordan in Chicago where she used her expertise in helping to guide other U.S. development agencies and NGOs to address Jordan’s priorities in the fields of education, training, community development, employment creation and transfer of technology. Working with various Jordanian ministries, she also helped to initiate and design a number of projects in collaboration with other diplomatic missions and entities. With her strong contacts with the Arab-American community, she continued to assist national, international and local organizations. She’s currently a researcher and consultant for universities, government entities and NGOs. Mrs. Hanania is a co-author of two books on Rural Development in Jordan and Disabled Women in Third World Countries.

Mr. Helmi Kittani

Helmi Kittani, an Arab Israeli economist, joined CJAED in 1992, after 20 years of managerial experience at one of Israel's largest banks. In 2002, Helmi was awarded the Knesset's Quality of Life Award, along with CJAED founder Sarah Kreimer, from Speaker of the Knesset MK Avraham Burg, for their longstanding efforts to improve the quality of life of Arab citizens of Israel and to promote tolerance and understanding between Jews and Arabs. In 2009, Kittani was awarded the New Israel Fund Human Rights Award in recognition of his achievements in promoting human rights, civil rights and equality for the Arab citizens of Israel. He holds a degree in banking from Tel-Aviv University, and is on the New Generation Technologies (NGT) Arab-Jewish Technological Incubator Board of Directors.

BRIG General (Ret.) Nasri R. Nowar, M.S.

Nasri R. Nowar, Brig General Royal Jordanian Air Force (Ret) is a consultant for United Technologies International Operations, Inc. (UTIO) in support of PRATT & WHITNEY- Military Engines (PW-ME) business interests in Jordan. As consultant, he is responsible for developing and improving business for PRATT’s Military Engine Services, through market research, identification and pursuit of new business opportunities. Born in Salt, Jordan; he graduated from Martyr Faisal the Second College in Amman. In 1977 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant from Hellenic Air Force Academy - Athens, Greece. In 1990, he received a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Vehicle Design from Cranfield Institute of Technology, England. Since his graduation in 1977, he served in the Royal Jordanian Air Force holding senior staff positions at bases hosting several flying squadrons of fighter aircraft. In 1987 he was assigned Maintenance Wing Commander, until 1994 when he assumed the duties of Chief of Aircraft Supply Branch (fixed and rotary wing), which included all aspects of Foreign Military Sales under the Military Assistance program with the US Department of Defense. In 1996, he was promoted to Chief of the Fighter Aircraft Maintenance Branch. Nowar, culminated his Air Force career as the Director of Maintenance; responsible for the logistics support of all aircraft. His directorate consisted of five bases and over 4,000 active duty personnel. He received his military and technical training attending courses offered at numerous bases, Universities and Institutions throughout Jordan, the USA, England, France and Greece and is a graduate of The Defense Resources Management / Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California. After his retirement in 2001, he joined the Ministry of Transport assuming the duties as Director General of Queen Alia International Airport. He joined P&W in 2004. In Feb. 2007, he joined Jordan Airline Training & Simulation as General Manager, and in June 2011, he joined WAMAR International LLC as a Senior Consultant to the Chairman. Nowar is a member of the Jordanian Engineering Association, International Airport Council Group and an Associate Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a member of the International Equestrian Federation as an Official Judge and speaks four languages; Arabic, English, French and Greek. He is married with four children.

M.tra. Marina Patricia Jiménez Ramírez, M.A.

Marina Patricia Jiménez Ramírez is counselor (consejera) of The National Council for Human Rights of the State of Chiapas, Mexico. She is a well-known specialist in the field of human rights, indigenous rights and women rights. She holds a BA in Sociology from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and a Master in Social Anthropology from Universidad Autonoma de Chiapas (UNACH). She has been working in the field of popular education since 1987. From 1993 to 2003 she served as a tireless fighter for human rights at the Human Rights Center Fray Bartolome de las Casas, where she was coordinator in the area of monitoring of cases. From 1996 to 2003 she assumed the Directorship of the Centre. From 2004 to 2006 was General Coordinator of the Center for Community Development Foundation Leo XIII and coordinated various indigenous human development programs. In 2006, advised and coordinated, with the Human Rights Center "Fray Matías de Córdova", AC, the report on the situation of human rights violations of those affected by Hurricane Stan. From 2005 to 2006 she taught in high school "Fray Bartolome de Las Casas in the municipality of Guaquitepec, Chiapas. From 2005 to 2009 has been a member of the Law Advisory Council for the Promotion of Civil Society Organizations. From 2007 to 2008 was adviser to the Director General of the State Institute of Women in the State of Chiapas. From 2005 to 2006 and from 2008 to 2009 was adviser Local Elections in the State of Chiapas. In 2008 coordinated the Indigenous Peoples Report published by the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City. In 2008 she was Director of Research at the State Institute for Women and between 2008 to 2010 she served as advisor to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. She has served as a teacher and researcher in the area of Human Rights, coordinated international educational programs and presented several papers on the topic of Human Rights in different cities of Europe, Latin America and at the United Nations.

DR. N.S. ravishankar, ph.d.

Dr. N.S. Ravishankar is the Deputy Vice President of Axis Bank, Udupi, India, and a renowned expert of rural development, youth welfare programs, environmentalism, and peace and understanding. He has worked with the United Nations, UNICEF, UNESCO, World Wildlife Fund, ILO, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. Dr. Ravishankar has spearheaded more than 450 rural development projects consolidating basic rural development projects, self-employment programs in tribal areas. He has also engaged in more than 500 environment awareness projects, disaster preparedness activities, and educational projects. He is a prolific author and has received numerous prestigious awards for his work, including: the Michael Madhusudan Award for social service; National Hind Rattan Award; the National Award from the All-India Freelance Journalists Association; the Outstanding Achievement Award from MSPI; and the National Magnum Award. He also serves as Honorary Advisor and Ambassador of Creative projects and Global affairs for the Global Peace Centre, Australia. He likewise serves as the Delegate General of India of the Noble Dynasty Association, and International Nobility Association, USA. His vision is to do good for all humanity and ends the pain and suffering in the society. Dr. Ravishankar received his Bachelor’s degree in Law, from Mysore University (1989), his Masters of Arts Degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from Alagappa University (1990); and his Ph.D. in Finance from the World Information Distributed University (WIDU) (2001).

Ms. Lila Ramos Shahani , M.A.

Assistant Secretary Lila Ramos Shahani is currently Head of Communications of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet (HDPRC) Cluster, which covers 26 government agencies dealing with poverty and development. She is also Spokesperson of the Advocacy and Communications Group of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). She was formerly Assistant Secretary and Head of Communications of the National Anti-Poverty Commission and Deputy Director of the Museo ng Kalinangang Pilipino at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She has also taught at the Asian Institute of Management, the Ateneo School of Government and the University of the Philippines. She spent many years in New York, where she worked for Oxford University Press, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Development Programme. She has published widely, both in academic and journalistic contexts. She has also co-edited a book by Oxford scholars on Amartya Sen’s theories on development. She grew up in such far-flung places as Romania, Australia, Austria, Kenya and India – but is finally happy to be home. In the Philippines, her work with the poor has allowed her to encounter many survivors of human trafficking, and to do everything humanly possible to give them all the protections the state can provide. This experience has made the limitations of the system – from prevention to protection to prosecution – amply clear to her, and she is now doing what she can to make the anti-trafficking system in the country significantly stronger. She is writing a book on her experiences with human trafficking survivors, and how to prevent their stories from ever happening again. Asec. Shahani did her undergraduate work at Brown University, received a Masters Degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and is now a doctoral candidate at Oxford University.

Archimandrite Prof. Qais Sadiq

Archimandrite Prof. Qais Sadiq is the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of the Patriarchate of Antioch and the Whole East. He is also the founder and President, Ecumenical Studies Center, in Jordan and Coordinator of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC)- Arab States Region. A native of Jordan. Involved in conserving the Arab Christian Literature and Heritage. Activist in: promoting ethics education for children and youth through inter-faith learning; human rights and social justice; struggling against hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and discrimination. Has served youth in the ecumenical movement since 1972, serving in various leadership, academic and religious positions in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, and Romania. Former Prof. of Canon Law and Church History (1982-1990 University of Balamand, Lebanon); Higher Advisory Judge of the Patriarchal Ecclesiastical Court of Appeal (Damascus 1990 - 1995). He is a Member of: The Society of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches (Vienna); Arab Group for Christian-Muslim Dialogue (Lebanon); the Committee of the Jordanian National Plan for Children (2004-2013); The Muslim-Christian Committee, Jordan; the Jordanian National Committee for Bioethics and Technology. Founded: the Orthodox Youth Fellowship of Jordan(OYF) in 1982; The Orthodox Center (Cairo, 1996), Civilization Across Borders Program in 1996 for extending bridges of culture, dialogue, acceptance, and understanding between East and West; Youth Across Borders Program in 1996 to empower the university and college students (Christians and Moslems) in youth issues; the Fisher Program in 1998 to empower children (Christians and Moslems) aged 7-18 in gender issues, human rights, democracy and social justice, children’s issues, peace building and reconciliation, and inter-faith dialogue; Co-founder of the Forum of Civilizations, Damascus, Syria (1990); Co-Founder of the Planning Group of Trans-Asia Alliance for Child Rights, New Delhi (2006); Advisor to: the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), Middle East Region; “MIZAN” Group of Law for Human Rights, Jordan; Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI), Jordan. Is widely published and a winner of the Gandhi - King - Ikeda Award.

Mr. baxter swilley

Baxter Swilley is a 17-year political consultant and campaign veteran based in Chicago. He is also a social entrepreneur who has innovated new domains where public-private partnerships flourish. He is a strategic thinker, targeting voters, consumers and government decision-makers, and a leader of one of Chicago’s premiere public affairs firms. Mr. Swilley’s life work is centered on mobilizing everyday Americans to act in their own best interests. To this end, he has been a dedicated explorer of new partnerships that yield benefit for working families, small businesses and local governments. Baxter attended Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where he majored in political science and philosophy, wrote opinion columns for the campus newspaper and graduated as a McNair Scholar. Following graduation, he initially worked in the education department of the Field Museum before embarking on a political career including campaigns for Harvey Johnson, the first African American Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, and U.S. Congressmen Bobby Rush. Since then, he has managed and consulted on more than 60 state and local campaigns around the country. He served as Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s Political Director in Chicago, where he oversaw grassroots field operations focused on identifying, persuading and turning out voters. These experiences led to him becoming one of the first political staff hired by U.S. Senator John Edwards for the Senator’s 2004 bid for President of the United States. Upon returning to Chicago, Baxter worked as the Senior Associate at the Haymarket Group, Chicago’s premiere public affairs firm, where he managed government affairs accounts for clients. In 2007, he organized “Citizens for 2016,” a grassroots organization whose mission was to build public support for Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. In 2008 he designed and organized the 1000 Healthy Kids Campaign, in partnership with Resurrection Health Care and the Chicago Sun-Times, which registered more than 1200 families for Medicaid health insurance--on one day. In 2010, as the Pentagon was moving U.S. military bases from Japan to Guam, he led a delegation of small business owners to that Pacific Island to explore new business opportunities for Illinois companies.

Mr. Maurice Mukhtar Weaver

Maurice Mukhtar Weaver is the Founding President & CEO of Mukhtar Enterprises LLC, an international business consultancy with expertise in market entry, investment facilitation, strategic communications, and sustainable development. Mukhtar Enterprises brokers commodities for the US market and facilitates deals in the food industry, infrastructure development, energy, and precious metals for US, Latin America, Middle East, and African clients. Maurice Mukhtar Weaver is an Operating Partner and Senior Director of Capitalinka Investment Management Services. Over the last decade, Capitalinka has been focused on international business development, providing investment management and strategic advisory support to companies, investors seeking governance and management help in market penetrations as well as while they are building joint ventures and making cross-border acquisitions. A seasoned journalist, Mr. Weaver has written for Chicago Tribune, Ebony, People, Pioneer Press, AllAfrica.com, and Diversity MBA Magazine. He was a senior speechwriter at the Chicago Public Schools, and served as an original host for “Radio Islam.” In April 2014, Mr. Weaver traveled to Chad and Cameroon to interview Muslim and Christian refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing in Central African Republic. Mr. Weaver served as Vice President of Communications and Senior Project Manager at The Global FoodBanking Network, an international charity whose mission was to alleviate world hunger by supporting and nurturing food banks and food bank networks on six continents. Mr. Weaver collaborated with the global companies and brands such as Kellogg Company, Nestle, and Cargill, in addition to government, civil society, and UN institutions in more than 20 countries to raise awareness of hunger, reduce food waste, and most importantly, feed our hungry neighbors. Mr. Weaver also worked as the Director of National Outreach and Faith-Based Relations for Feeding America, the largest US hunger-relief organization. He was responsible for launching Hunger Awareness Day, which has grown into Hunger Awareness Month each October across the nation. Mr. Weaver is responsible for outreach, membership and public relations at the Africa Global Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Rainbow Push Coalition and the National Association of Black Journalists. He volunteers with the Ethiopian Community Association and the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Mr. Weaver lives in Chicago with his wife, Rashieda, and sons Tariq and Hameedullah. Personal interests include walking, overseas travel, music, tennis, movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Lt. Col. (USAF, Ret.) Shelley Weiss, M.S.

Lt. Col. (USAF, Ret.) Shelley Joan Weiss, MS, is a career educator with over 38 years of teaching and professional administration experience at the PK-12 and university level. She currently serves as the Wisconsin Commissioner for the Interstate Compact for the Education of Military Children; as Trustee of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), Northern Region; and is the Immediate Past President at Wisconsin Association for Middle Level Education (WAMLE). For over 18 years, Ms. Weiss served as principal of Waunakee Middle School, Wisconsin. She also served as a career member of the Air National Guard/Air Reserve, retiring as the WIANG Inspector General. Ms. Weiss is licensed as a Superintendent; Director of Curriculum and Instruction; Director of Special Education; Director of Pupil Services; and Prekindergarten - 12th Grade Building Administrator. She has taught extensively at the middle-school level and at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Now working as an Independent Educational Leadership Consultant with “Enhancing Educational Excellence!” she provides expert guidance to schools, districts, universities and associations on: educational leadership; positive school climate and culture; distributive leadership; data-driven decision making; assessments; curriculum and instruction; policy and research; mentoring; interventions; communication enhancement; and Instruction of middle-level educational practices. Ms. Weiss is completing her Doctorate of Education degree (ABD), with an emphasis on Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds a Master's of Education Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; a Master's Degree in Strategy and Policy from the Naval University, Newport, RI; a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and is a graduate of the USAF Air Command and Staff College. Shelley Joan is actively involved in educational reform at the state, regional, and national levels and is the recipient of many awards and honors – both civilian and military – including the James Stoltenberg Award for Leadership in Middle Level Education; the President’s Award of the Wisconsin Association for Outstanding Middle Level Education; and was Principal of the Wisconsin Middle School of the Year.

Ms. Sadie Yang, MPA, LLM.

Ms. Sadie Yang is Principal of Inclusive Development Consulting, based in Canada. She studied at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University (MPA ’05), Yale Law School (LLM ’00) and Peking University (LLM ’99). She has over 15 years’ experience in International Development, focusing on good governance, anti-corruption, legal and judicial reform, gender equality and civil society capacity building. She managed the Ford Foundation’s Public Interest and Clinical Legal Education Initiative in Beijing, served as a policy and operational lawyer at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and a learning and evaluation specialist at the International Development Law Organization in Rome. With a unique combination of legal and public policy knowledge, she carried out the responsibilities of project management, policy research and program evaluation. Her work experience covers countries in Asia, Africa and Middle East. As an experienced evaluator, she has organized and led teams in complex, multi‐country assignments. Ms. Yang’s research interest also includes China’s role in Africa, and south-south cooperation.

Dr. Yusuf Ahmed Nur “Baadi”, Ph.D.

Dr. Yusuf Ahmed Nur “Baadi” received his early education in Mogadishu's public schools - Boondheere Elementary School, Central Middle School, and 15 May High. After finishing high school he received a military scholarship to study electrical engineering at the Odessa Military Technical College, Odessa, Ukraine. His studies were however interrupted when relations between the former Soviet Union and Somalia deteriorated. He returned to Somalia where he got another scholarship to resume his studies at the Military Technical College, Cairo, Egypt, where he graduated with a BS in electrical engineering.Yusuf Ahmed Nur “Baadi” served in the Somali Military for 11 years, four of them as a Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Guidance Systems Engineer. He was one of the first Somali officers to be assigned counterpart duties to the first US CENTCOM mission to Somalia in the early 80s. He resigned his military commission after fulfilling his contractual commitment to the Somali Military. Soon after that Yusuf Ahmed Nur “Baadi” moved to the USA and earned an MBA from California State University, Fresno, CA. After working for four years in Atlanta, GA, he decided to go back to school. He got accepted into the PhD program of the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, where he graduated with a PhD in Strategic Management. Yusuf Ahmed Nur “Baadi” taught Strategic Management and International Business at the State University of New York, Brockport before moving back to Indiana where he teaches now at the Business School, Indiana University, Kokomo, IN. His research interests include: cultural aspects of international management, strategic leadership, and entrepreneurship. Yusuf Ahmed Nur “Baadi” is a founding member and a former chairman of the National Civic Forum, an organization whose main objective is to research problems of governance, reconciliation, security, and social and economic development in the Somali context. Yusuf Ahmed Nur “Baadi” regularly visits the Somali Republic and is actively involved in the attempts to find a lasting solution to the Somali problem.

Dr. Georgios A. Antonopoulos, Ph.D.

Georgios A. Antonopoulos, national of Greece, obtained his PhD from the Department of Sociology and Social Policy of Durham University in the UK. He is currently Reader (Associate Professor) in Criminology at the School of Social Sciences and Law, Teesside University in the UK. His teaching and research interests include the criminality, criminalisation and victimisation of minority ethnic groups, qualitative research methods, illegal markets and ‘organised crime’. He has conducted research for the local authorities in Britain, the British Police, the British Ministry of Justice and the European Commission, His articles have appeared in the British Journal of Criminology, European Journal of Criminology, Trends in Organised Crime, Global Crime, and Crime, Law & Social Change. He is an associate of the Cross-Border Crime Colloquium, and member of the editorial boards of the journals Criminal Justice Studies, Trends in Organised Crime and Global Crime. In 2009 he received the European Society of Criminology Young Criminologist Award.

Dr. Daniele Capone, Ph.D.

Daniele Capone is Teaching Assistant in Public Policy Analysis, University of Milan, Italy. He obtained a Ph.D. in Public Law from the University of Milan (2009). He is Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana (2008) and at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy of Columbia University in the City of New York (2008 – 2010). He is consultant for the Department of Welfare, Family and Social Policy of the Regional Government of Lombardy. His research and publications focus on Disability Rights and Policies, Social Inclusion, Education, Legislative Oversight, Expertise and Policymaking, Government Accountability. Since 2005 Daniele Capone has been providing services as a researcher and expert for various governmental and non profit organizations; he is currently member of the Scientific Committee for Disability Policies - Lombardy Region and of the Scientific Committee of the National Observatory on Disability - Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Italy. Starting from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, he undertook a large study on the international precedents after which he collaborated in 2010 to the creation of the first public policy for persons with disability in Italy at the regional level (Action Plan for Persons with Disability) and he is working on building the national one.

Dr. Samuel (Muli) Peleg, Ph.D.

Dr. Samuel (Muli) Peleg is a professor and researcher who specializes in conflict analysis and conflict resolution, sustainability, negotiation, human rights, leadership and intercultural communication. He is currently the Rutgers University Political Science Department’s Director of Development for the newly established MA Program in UN and Global Policy Studies. He was a Schusterman Visiting Professor at The Bildner Center for Jewish studies of Rutgers University (2009-2010) and a visiting faculty member at the negotiation and conflict resolution program (NECR) at Columbia University (2009-2013). Dr. Peleg is a research fellow at the Stanford Center for International Conflict resolution and negotiation (SCICN). He is the author of several books and articles about his areas of expertise. Among his publications are Spreading the Wrath of God: From Gush Emunim to Rabin Square (1997, Hebrew), Zealotry and Vengeance- quest of Religious Identity Group (2002, Lexington Books); If Words Could Kill: the Failure of Public Discourse in Israel (2003, Hebrew University Press), and Fighting Terrorism in the Liberal State (2006, IOS Press). His new book Identity and the Coordinated Management of Meaning will be published in 2017. Dr. Peleg studies negotiation processes and peace-building operations and has been a top advisor on leadership and negotiations to the Peres Center for Peace. In this capacity he had taken part in several rounds of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians as well as Israelis and Jordanians. He has also counseled the Prime Minister’s office, the Foreign Office and the National Security Council. Currently, Professor Peleg serves as a Fellow and board member of The Martin Luther King- Realizing the Dream Foundation as well as serving on the advisory board of the Justice Project. In 2003, Dr. Peleg was a founding member of One Voice, an organization which promotes reconciliation between the various factions of the Israeli society as well as between Israelis and Palestinians. In 2005 Dr. Peleg was invited to participate in the terrorism research committee of the prestigious Club de Madrid. A year later, in May 2006, he won the NATO research award for the study of terrorism in liberal states. Dr. Peleg is one of the core group researchers of Peace Journalism, an ongoing project on a more balanced and contextualized media coverage of conflicts.

Dr. Massimo Di Pierro, Ph.D.

Massimo Di Pierro is Associate Professor at the School of Computing of DePaul University in Chicago, where he directs the Master program in Computational finance and he teaches courses of various topics including Web Frameworks, Network Programming, Computer Security, Scientific Computing and Parallel Programming. Massimo has a Ph.D. in High Energy Theoretical Physics from the University of Southampton (UK) and he has worked as Associate Researcher for the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Massimo is the author of two books and more than 50 publications in the fields of Physics and Computational Finance, and he contributed to many open source projects.

Dr. Eric James, Ph.D.

Eric James, PhD is an aid worker, author and lecturer specializing in the management of humanitarian relief and disaster response. Dr. James began his career in international development with USAID in 1995 and has since worked for a number of NGOs. This professional experience spans over twenty countries including Afghanistan, Albania, Burundi, East Timor, Iraq, Liberia, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Until recently he served as American Refugee Committee's Director of Program Development and Emergencies and currently works as an independent consultant and entrepreneur. His research interests include improving humanitarian assistance, NGO management and civil-military relations. He taught previously at the University of Manchester's Institute of Development Policy and Management, DePaul University's School of Public Service and is a Lecturer at University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He also served as a Teaching Fellow at Singularity University and is currently a Fellow of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. In addition to academic articles, he is the author of Managing Humanitarian Relief: An Operational Guide for NGOs (Practical Action 2008).

Dr. Devin Kearns, Ph.D.

Devin is an assistant professor of Special Education at Boston University. He received his doctorate at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Devin has worked as an elementary school teacher, a reading specialist, a literacy coach, and a research associate. He has provided professional development and done curriculum design for the University of California, Los Angeles, Vanderbilt University, and the national teacher program Teach For America. He has worked with teachers in school districts across the United States and Canada. For his doctoral work, Devin has worked on a large-scale investigation of a supplemental reading program called Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) and a study of the cognitive causes of reading disability. Devin recently worked on a project to prevent reading difficulties in 1st grade students, for which he and others designed the phonics instruction provided to the students. Currently, he is working to understand the processes involved in multi-syllabic word reading. Devin is originally from a town of 2,000 people in southern Maine, and he is a fan of the New England Patriots.

Dr. Nguyen Khac Hai, Ph.D.

Dr Nguyen Khac Hai was born in 1978 in Hanoi, Vietnam. He is now lecturer of Criminal Law and Criminology at the School of Law, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU). Dr. Hai graduated from School of Law, VNU with a Bachelor of Laws Degree in Criminal Law in 2000. From 2001 to 2008, he studied Criminology in Moscow and completed Dotorate degree at State and Law Institute of Russian Academy. Currently Dr. Hai holds the position of professor of Criminal Law and Criminology teaching at graduate and postgraduate levels. Dr. Hai is also Vice Chief Editor of Law and Development Journal, Head of International Cooperation of Vietnam American Law Center under Vietnam Lawyer Association.

_Dr. Almir Maljević, Ph.D., LL.M.

Almir Maljević, national of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has obtained his PhD at the Faculty of Law, University of Freiburg i. Br. and the Max-Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law (Freiburg i. Br., Germany). He works as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Law and Comparative Criminal Justice Systems at the Faculty of Criminal Justice Sciences, University of Sarajevo. His research focuses primarily on criminal law and juvenile criminal law, co-operation within criminal justice systems, criminal collectives and criminal conspiracy, organised criminal activities, terrorism, and police corruption. Since 2001 Almir Maljević has been providing services either as researcher, legal expert, consultant or project manager for numerous governmental and international organisations such as the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina, Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina, Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina, Max-Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Open Society Institute New York, Central European University, K.U. Leuven.

Dr. David Nnyanzi, Ph.D.

Dr. David Nnyanzi holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Boston College, and is currently a visiting lecturer at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. Dr. Nnyanzi has been involved in livelihoods social development research and practice, both in East Africa and the United States since 1997. He has recently returned from Uganda, where has spent three years as the Director of the Directorate of Community Outreach at Uganda Martyrs University (UMU), and the Uganda Country Director for the Universities Partnership for Outreach, Research, and Development Studies (UPFORD) - a joint initiative of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana and Uganda Martyrs University. He has also served as the director of the Nnindye project in the vicinity of UMU, which is intended to be a model village for sustainable community development - modeled on the Millennium Villages Projects (MVPs) of the United Nations..

Dr. Ian Ralby, Ph.D.

Dr. Ian Ralby has substantial expertise in international and maritime law, international relations, and transnational security issues. In particular, he is a recognized expert on matters relating to the regulation, governance and oversight of both land-based and maritime private security companies. As Executive Director of I.R. Consilium, he advises and assists governments and organizations with developing and implementing legally-grounded policy, often pertaining to matters of security and stability. He has worked with governments around the globe on complex problem-solving including: leading a project to overhaul the maritime domain of a state in West Africa; regulating the security industry of a Caribbean state; troubleshooting complex problems in the Middle East; and arranging constructive visits for senior foreign officials to the UK. Dr. Ralby has also spent time embedded as an international law advisor to a government in the Balkans, served as an advisor on the development of various national and international codes, standards and oversight mechanisms for the private security industry, and provided support to the Iraqi Judges on the trials of Saddam Hussein and his top lieutenants. He remains an active advisor to several allied Western Governments on matters relating to both private security and maritime affairs and is considered a ‘Key Opinion Former’ on maritime security in NATO. He also speaks and publishes widely on topics relating to international affairs and law. Dr. Ralby earned a B.A. in Modern Languages and Linguistics and an M.A. in Intercultural Communication at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; a J.D. at the College of William and Mary; and an M.Phil. in International Relations and a Ph.D. in Politics and International Studies at St. John’s College of the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Vanja-Ivan Savić, LL.M., M.Sc., Ph.D.

Vanja-Ivan Savić, LL.M., M.Sc., Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Law, Croatia, Faculty of Law, Department for General Theory of Law and State and International Fellow at International Human Rights Law Institute at DePaul University, College of Law, Chicago, Illinois. He holds his Master of Science in Law degree on the topic concerning Fundamental Questions of Criminal Liability of Juristic Persons and his PhD/J.S.D. on the topics of Legal Theory, Criminal Law, Comparative Law. Savić, J.S.D/ thesis was entitled, “Application of Theoretical Models of Criminal Liability of Juristic Persons in Croatian and Comparative Law.”

Dr. Agata Stachowicz–Stanusch, Ph.D., D.Sc

Agata Stachowicz–Stanusch, Ph.D., D.Sc., is an Associate Professor of Management at the Silesian University of Technology in Poland. She is the Head of the Management and Marketing Department. Stachowicz–Stanusch has authored and edited fourteen books, including co–authoring Contemporary Management: Collaborating in a Networked World which will be published in 2012 by Palgrave Macmillan, two books co- edited with Wolfgang Amman entitled “Business Integrity in Practice – Insights from international case studies” which will be published by Business Expert Press, New York in 2012 and “Integrity in organizations - Building the foundations for humanistic management” which will be published by Palgrave Macmilla in 2012, ”Organizational Immunity to Corruption: Building Theoretical and Research Foundations (IAP 2010), and was co-author and co–editor, together with Charles Wankel, of three books: Education for Integrity: Ethically Educating Tomorrow’s Business Leaders (Emerald, 2011), Effectively Integrating Ethical Dimensions into Business Education (IAP, 2011), and Handbook of Research on Teaching Ethics in Business and Management Education (IGI Global, 2012). She is also the author of over seventy research papers in domestic and international journals and conference proceedings. Agata manages an international research team as part of the project “Sensitizing Future Business Leaders: Developing Anti-Corruption Guidelines for Curriculum Change” of the UN Global Compact and the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative, which is one of the projects of the Siemens Integrity Initiative. She served as a track chair during the Euram conference (Roma 2010 and Rotterdam 2012) and was a PDW co-organizer during the AOM Annual Meeting in San Antonio (2011) and in Boston (2012). She is a reviewer of Academy of Management (AOM) and European Academy of Management (EURAM) as well as the Journal of Brand Management (Palgrave MacMillan) and Journal of Organizational Change Management (Emerald). Stachowicz–Stanusch is a member of Polish Academy of Sciences, the Committee on Organizational and Management Sciences, Katowice Department, and PRME Working Group on Anti–Corruption. She is also a co–founder and vice editor-in-chief of the Organizational and Management Journal edited by the Silesian University of Technology as well as a member of the Editorial Board of the Global Management Journal.

Dr. Emanuele Vedramini, Ph.D.

Dr. Emanuele Antonio Vendramini, Ph.D., is the Director of the Master of Public Management program, and Professor of Public Management and Policy, at the SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milan, Italy. He is also an Associate Professor of Management at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy, and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (US). In addition, he is a Visiting Professor at Stellenbosch University (Sud Africa) and Hanoi University, Vietnam, where he lectures as part of the ASIA LINK project for executive education (SON LA province); he is a Contracted Professor of Public Administration and Healthcare at Bocconi University, Milan; and affiliated with the institute of Strategy an Competitiveness at the Harvard Business School. Dr. Vendramini is an expert in management control, performance measurement and management, and competitiveness in the healthcare industry. He has lectured widely throughout the world. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration Management from the University of Parma, Italy, and a degree in Scientific and Economic Disciplines from Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. He is the author of two books, “Il Sistema di Budget Nelle Aziende Sanitarie Pubbliche,” (McGraw Hill 2004) and “Organizzazione e Gestione Delle Cure Primarie,” (McGraw Hill 2001), and over twenty published papers and articles.

Mr. Lawk Salah Ahmad, M.A.

Mr. Lawk Ahmad has over 20 years experience in the field of development and capacity building training with various universities, local colleges, public, private and International NGOs, in Iraq and UK. He has worked for United Nations main office, USAID, DePaul University during 1990s and 2000s and with American and British governments as a senior consultant for local government, civil society, communication and legal projects. He has specialist skills in project designing, strategic planning and project implementation, staff oversight and budget supervision. He has attended several training courses on project management and training delivery in UK. He has gained high quality of negotiation skills and diplomacy through a day to day project management with senior Middle East’s local authorities. He has proven a positive attitude, required professional skills and updated general knowledge to interact, coordinate and liaise on a national and International levels for the success of project objectives. He is a holder of MA from the University of Westminster in London. His MA dissertation was a comparative study on English-Arabic news in which he focused on how the politics and culture are reflected and analysed in the news writing. He is, also, a certified trainer from the University of Cambridge to teach English to the speakers of other languages.

Mr. Andy Aung Myo, M.S.

A native of Burma (Myanmar), Andy Aung Myo received a Masters Degree in International Public Service from DePaul University in Chicago. He received a Bachelor's of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His interest in forced migration and refugee services comes from working as a Burmese-English translator for Chicago-area refugees through the Heartland Alliance, as well as from time spent volunteering in the refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border. Additionally, Andy has worked for seven years in the hospitality industry with a focus on events and meeting planning, capacity building training, departmental evaluation implementation, and corporate diversity awareness education.

Rabbi Michael M. Cohen

Rabbi Michael M. Cohen is a graduate of the University of Vermont where he received the History Award, and graduated in 1980 with honors for his work on Lenin’s Theory of Self-Determination and the Muslims of the Soviet Union. While at UVM he did a two year solo trip around the world. Rabbi Cohen received ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1990 becoming the first rabbi in the history of the Israel Congregation in Manchester Center, Vermont. He served as their rabbi for ten years, and also was elected during those years to a term as the President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. In 1993 he was awarded the Unsung Hero Award by the Town of Manchester. Rabbi Cohen was a founding faculty member of The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (www.friendsofarava.org) located on Kibbutz Ketura in 1996 while on sabbatical from the Israel Congregation. The Arava Institute is the premier environmental teaching and research program in the Middle East preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the regions environmental challenges. While at the Institute he teaches classes such as Genesis As a Key to Environmental Thought and Moses: A Study of Leadership and Environmental Wisdom. Since 2000 he has divided his time between Vermont and the Kibbutz Ketura campus of the Arava Institute, also working for the Institute on development and student recruitment while in the United States. In 2002 he co-founded the Green Zionist Alliance, the first Environmental Zionist party to run in the World Zionist Congress elections. In 2009 he co-founded the Arava Power Company which is working to make Solar Power the main energy source for southern Israel and the region. In his capacity with the Arava Institute he helped establish the Alliance for Middle East Peace an organization of Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian NGOs working for peace in the region. He has used that position to promote ideas with members of Congress, the White House and Ambassadors to the move the peace process forward. He is the author if numerous articles on the environment and the Middle East peace process that can be found in Haaretz, the Jerusalem Post, the Jerusalem Report, The Palestine Times, the Israel-Palestine Journal, The Jordan Times, the Rutland Herald, the Christian Science Monitor, the Arab News, Todays Zaman, and the Huffington Post. He is a recipient of the Eliav Sartawi Award for Middle East Journalism from the Search for Common Ground. He is the author of "Einstein's Rabbi: A Tale of Science and the Soul." He presently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Burr & Burton Academy and the Energy and Trees Committees of the Town of Manchester. His latest project is working on the establishment of a Nobel Environment Prize.

Ms. Nassiwa Teddy Ddamulira, M.S.

Nassiwa Teddy Ddamulira, MS (Education), is the Principal of St. Denis Ssebugwawo. S.S Ggaba (“St. Dennis”), Kampala District, Uganda; a Christian founded and a Government aided school. She has been in the teaching profession for the last fifteen years, eight of which were in a management position. She holds a Masters of Arts in Educational Management degree, and a Bachelor in Education degree, from Makerere University.

Mr. Steven A. Dishler

Steven A. Dishler serves as Director of International Affairs for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. In this capacity he develops comprehensive strategies to engage the international diplomatic corps, briefs elected officials and foreign diplomats, and provides constituent-focused advocacy training.  He is a renowned international relations expert with more than twenty years experience creating successful and sustainable inter-organizational relationships designed to achieve mutually beneficial core policy objectives. He effectively communicates in multi-cultural environments and fosters complex, nuanced, discussions with diplomats across the globe. Further, he adroitly advocates before Members of Congress, resulting in increased understanding and support of key community issues. Steve is a member of the American Foreign Policy Council and the McCormick Tribune Foundation working group on formulating policy recommendations for the U.S. administration on Iran. He has been awarded the Bernard Nath honor by the Anti-Defamation League in recognition of his distinguished leadership and commitment to raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur. In receiving this honor, Steve was specifically recognized for his, “commitment to fighting hate and injustice regionally, nationally, and internationally.” Additionally, Steve was selected by the Turkish government to meet and brief senior public officials; he participated in tripartite discussions with Israeli, Jordanian and Turkish delegates; and was selected by the foreign ministries of France, Germany and Turkey to participate in high-level meetings in their country’s capitals with government officials, civic and religious leaders and human rights groups. Steve served as an officer in the Israeli Defence Force Reserves, where he was a liaison to Foreign Forces. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Affairs from the Hebrew University.

Fr. Mark Kalema, M.A.

Father Mark Kalema has been the pastor of Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church - with 400 families, located in the South Shore community of Chicago - since February 2009. He previously served as associate pastor at St. Ann’s in Lansing, IL. Fr. Kalema was ordained in Uganda in 1986. After his ordination to priesthood, he was assigned to serve as the Diocesan Communications director. Thereafter, he was sent to Rome where he earned his Master’s Degree in Communications and Mass Media from the Salesian University in Rome, Italy. He then interned with the Florida Catholic Newspaper in Florida, USA. When he joined the Archdiocese of Chicago, he embarked on studies again and completed his MA studies in Counseling Psychology at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology Chicago, IL. He taught at Archbishop Quigley Seminary as an adjunct formation teacher from 1998 until 2003, when Cardinal George appointed him a fulltime theology teacher. He holds two Diplomas in Philosophy and Theology, both from his home country Uganda.

Mr. Yusuf Ahmed Maalin, B.S.

Mr. Yusuf Ahmen Maalin is Executive Director and Founder of the Somalia Strategy Forum (SSF). He joined the World Engagement Institute as an International Fellow and Advisor on human security issues for the Horn of Africa. He previously served as the President of World Telecom Corporation, worked with the Chicago Board of Election, and had a management position with Avon Corporation. He has a biomedical background with a Bachelor of Science degree from DePaul University in Chemistry and Biology. He is a leader, an unfaltering advocate of the Somali people, and a change-agent championing the increased effectiveness of Somalia's governance infrastructure. In his regard, Mr. Maalin currently coordinates the efforts of a large network of Somalis engaged in capacity building programs promoting political stability and sustainable economic development throughout the entire country of Somalia. Through the Somali Coastal Infrastructure Management (SCIM) strategy and other institutional capacity building programs, Mr. Maalin has mobilized a concerned group of Somalis committed to political stability and human security of their country. Their combined efforts are primarily directed at the Country's reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of important physical and social infrastructure. Mr. Maalin believes that encouraging economic opportunity is critical to the enhancement of national, regional and international dialogue. His public service leadership agenda centers on the promotion of dialogue between diverse Somali communities and the establishment of sustainable cooperation programs throughout the region. Supported by a global network of Somalis in diaspora, he has been promoting Somali women’s rights while simultaneously establishing institutional government capacity and various peace building efforts. His concerns related to community health extend to the Somalia hunger crisis and poverty alleviation through the promotion of sustainable food production and community agriculture.

Ms. Ahlam Ahmed Mahmood

Ahlam Ahmed Mahmood is a Co-Founder of Iraqi Mutual Aid Society (IMAS) and Director of Outreach and Casework. Ahlam Mahmood holds a degree in Business Administration from the university of Baghdad. Shortly after the start of the war in 2003, she became determined to do all she could to help her fellow Iraqis as they struggled with its consequences. She reached out to agencies such as International Relief, Red Crescent, Women for Women and Christian Peacemaker Team; became a humanitarian worker with the Iraqi Assistance Center; and served as a member of the Baghdad City Council. After being kidnapped by a militia because of her connections with the Americans, she fled with her family and resettled in Syria. There she became a humanitarian worker for UNHCR and UNICEF and started a small school. She worked as a fixer/translator for many journalists and organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch when they visited Damascus to report on the Iraqi refugee crisis. She was resettled in Chicago in the fall of 2008, and seeing the difficulties Iraqi refugees face in adjusting to life here, almost immediately took steps to form an agency to help the Iraqi refugees.

_Mr. Abdirahman Obsie, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate

Abdirahman Obsie, MA, Ph.D. Candidate, is the President of Homeland Care Foundation (HCF), a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded by a group of Somalilanders living in the Diaspora in 2010. HCF works in collaboration with the Somali government to encourage the socio-economic stability in the country. The areas upon which he focuses are improving the physical infrastructure of Somalia, introducing new healthcare initiatives, upgrading Somali education, and enhancing the socio economic status of the Somali people. Mr. Obsie is completing his Ph.D. studies at the Capella University School of Public Service where he is concentrating on organizational management and leadership. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Northeastern Illinois University. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also a graduate of Sana'a University (French and Literature) and Somalia National University (French and Italian).

_Mr. Jamal Penjweny

Jamal Penjweny is a photographer, artist and a filmmaker based in Iraq. Penjweny started as a sculptor and painter in Iraqi Kurdistan. Since 2004, while based in Baghdad, his photographs have reported the Iraqi conflict all over the world and appeared in more than dozen international news publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The National Geographic and The World Press Photo Magazine. Penjweny’s photography series “Iraq is Flying” has been selected and exhibited in United Kingdom, United States, Dubai, New Zealand, Brazil, and China. His latest works as filmmaker include “The Gun Market and “Another Life”- reporting the life of smugglers and the weapons illegal trade at the border between Iraq and Iran – where Pejnweny was born. Penjweny graduated from the London Institute of Photography in 2008. He is currently working on his new photography series “God’s Animals. See some of this international photography works here.

Mr. Veljko petrickovic, M.A.

Veljko Petrickovic is a nonprofit, arts and culture community leader living in Belgrade, Serbia. He currently serves as a Director of “Multikultivator, Service for Arts and Culture,” a Serbian nonprofit organization, where he leads regional integration and strategic partnership initiatives. He also works as an Analyst for NCR Serbia. Prior to 2014, he served as Director of Arts Programs at Cambridge Global Arts (CGA). While there, he supervised the organization’s programs and operations, and played a key role in the institutionalization of the arts initiatives at CGA. During his studies at Boston University, where he earned a Master’s in Arts Administration (2013), as well as a Project Management Certificate from BU and PMI, Veljko conducted primary and secondary market research for a local arts organization client. In 2010, he analyzed recruitment data, project schedules and budgets for Study Abroad for Musicians, Inc. (SAM), a local startup organization in Boston. Upon completion of Veljko served as a Manager at Akna Media, a Graphic Design and Web Development agency in Boston. Prior to beginning his studies in the US, Veljko spent three years as President of Vrbica Folkloric Performing Arts Proup, where he designed and executed a series of educational workshops, and collaborated with the local government and executives at the Belgrade’s preschool system.

Col. Stuart Roberts

Colonel Stuart Roberts enlisted into the British Army in 1979 and commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst the following year. A graduate of the Army Command and Staff College, he has held a number of appointments in the fields of Logistics, Personnel, Training, and Operations, and has served in Germany, Cyprus, the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), the United States, and Kuwait. In 2008-2009 he was assigned to the NATO and UN missions in Kosovo to oversee the dissolution of the Kosovo Protection Corps and the standing up of the Kosovo Security Force and the Ministry to oversee it. More recently, in 2011 he was assigned to the United Nations Political Office for Somalia as the Principal Military Advisor to the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General with particular responsibility for assisting in the development of the Somali Security and Justice sectors. He is married and lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

Mr. Peter Ssenkusu, M.A.

Peter Ssenkusu is a lecturer in the Department of Education Management and Curriculum studies, School of Education Makerere University Uganda. He is also a director of Maria Assumpta Nursery and Primary School, which is located 66km west of Kampala. Peter has participated in a number of research projects including children rights in Ugandan primary schools, and capacity building for teachers in post conflict areas: a pilot study for teachers in northern Uganda. He is presently completing a PhD research focusing on school leadership in conflict areas.

Mr. Avner Tavori

Avner Tavori Director of Partnerships at The Abraham Fund Initiatives. Prior to this appointment he served as the Director of the North American office of the Center for Jewish and Arab Economic Development in Israel. Starting off as a journalist in Israel in the 1970s, Avner Tavori worked in various news media: Israel Public Radio, TV and print. He later worked as a media specialist in political campaigns, and was the Press Secretary for the Israeli Ambassador to the UN. Tavori later worked on projects and issues involving Israel and the American Jewish community particularly on creating partnerships and shared platforms for the advancement of social justice and democratic values in Israel. The Abraham Fund Initiatives is a non-profit organization promoting shared living and equality among Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens. The Abraham Fund works toward a prosperous, secure and just society by promoting policies based on innovative social models, conducting large-scale initiatives, advocacy and public education. The Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development (CJAED) is a non-profit organization, established in 1988 by a group of Jewish and Arab businesspeople. The guiding principle of the Center and its activities is that Jewish-Arab economic cooperation in Israel is essential for peace, prosperity and economic stability in Israel and the region at large. CJAED acts on the premise that Israel's primary resource is its people; that Israel's strength lies in its pluralism and democracy; that it is the responsibility of the Jewish majority in Israel to treat the Arab minority with fairness and respect allowing Israeli Arabs to exercise their civil rights to the fullest; and that the Arab community must be integrated into the Israeli mainstream economy and society.

Mr. RYAN KELLY REIDY TUCKER

Ryan Kelly Reidy Tucker is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (BA, 2008). For for more than a decade, he has specialized in developing international Rule of Law programing around the world and doing so for a variety of International NGOs. His experience includes serving as: a WEInstitute International Program Fellow in Hanoi, Viet Nam (2011 – present); Program Analyst for the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) of DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, IL (2009 - 2011); International Teaching and Administrative Fellow for the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences (ISISC), Siracusa, Italy (2009); and Research Assistant for the University of Illinois Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies (CEAPS) (2004-2008), where he undertook interdisciplinary research on topics related to Asia Pacific. Mr. Tucker also served as a Certified State of Illinois Substitute Teacher (2008-211), as well as an Intervention Mathematics Instructor for Peoria, Illinois, School District 150 (2008 - 2009).

_Mr. Lauben Tushemereirwe

Lauben Tushemereirwe is the Executive Director and Chief Programme Coordinator of Child Aid Uganda. In this capacity he manages established local structures at the community level (e.g., Community-Based Health Volunteers) that act as conduits between the communities and the Organization. He identifies and assesse beneficiaries, as well as develops standards that will be utilized by health personnel to ensure that the nets and other preventive apparatus are given to children under 5 years and pregnant mothers living with HIV and AIDS. Mr. Tushemereirwe is a teacher by profession and a social worker by practice. He hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Makerere University, Kampala, and a diploma in education from Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK, currently Kyambogo University), where he also served as Chairperson of the Wildlife Clubs of Uganda. Additionally, he served as a volunteer with the Lutheran World Federation Rakai Community Based Aids Project, later Principal facilitator, as well as a Research assistant with LWF Ssembabule. Mr. Tushemereirwe facilitated the conceptual framework discussions and participatory research processes with Susan Walker McMaster, University Canada. He likewise trained in resource mobilization with the African Network for Prevention and Protection of Children against Abuse and Neglect, sponsored by European Union. And he trained in Advocacy Series facilitated by PACT International. He has extensive experience working with and Implementing USAID and civil society-donor funded projects.

Ms. Oana Amaria, M.S.

Oana is Romanian-American public service professional with a specialization in employment and training. Her current role as Workforce Development Specialist has provided considerable experience and insight on the intricate workings of state and federal systems and public policy. As a trainer, she has leveraged technology to deliver statewide training, while engaging thousands of individuals, businesses, and workforce professionals. Oana is the primary liaison for City of Chicago workforce development initiatives and projects and also leads the design, development, and implementation of large-scale statewide programs involving complex initiatives and change. Her specializations include: training design & development, cultural integration, website management and strategy, e-Learning & digital media, partnership development. Oana has a rich international background with expertise in working with multi-cultural environments and diverse populations. She has spent over 5 years abroad working with various communities in implementing capacity building and revenue generating strategies, micro-finance, and cooperative farming programs in Ghana, India, and Mexico. She also conducted cultural integration & language training courses for Fortune 500 Companies in Beijing, China. Her exposure to such initiatives developed her passion for enabling cultural integration, education, and development. More importantly, her own personal experience emigrating from Romania to the United States in the late 80’s developed her capacity to understand the value and need for collaborations and partnerships that make the world a better place. Oana has a B.S. in International Business and Finance, and an M.S. in International Public Service. Her thesis “Developing Romania’s Workforce” was published in the Romanian Digest, October 2008. She also teaches Personnel Management as adjunct faculty at Illinois Institute of Technology, Stuart School of Business.

Ms. Gracia Bennish

Gracia Bennish is President of United for Human Rights, an organization that promotes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and provides teaching resource materials to educators and community leaders. She is a skilled lecturer and facilitator and has delivered numerous seminars internationally dealing with social concerns. She has spent considerable time in SE Asia delivering the popular Truth About Dugs Seminar and has run both small and large training programs to Government Narcotics Bureaus. As a disaster responder specialist she has seen missions into Myanmar, various location in the US, Thailand and Haiti. In Iraq she worked with the military and zoo officials. Her work while there also entailed involvement with the soldiers and children of Bagdad, which resulted in the “Soldier and Child Zoo Project, which was broadcast internationally. The Hands of Hope Tapestry, a 12’ x 12’ work of art, designed and directed by Gracia in honor of and contributed to by over 300 foster children was invited by first Lady Hillary Clinton to the White House, displayed at the World Olympics and featured along with Ms. Bennish as guest at the Women’s Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She was with the first NGO to land immediately after the earthquake in Haiti where as a coordinator she lead volunteer involvement at the General Hospital in Port Au Prince. As a professional photojournalist she documented that catastrophic event as well as others throughout the world. Recently she worked with law enforcement officers in Columbia, documenting the anti -drug program they are successfully engaged in. With over 25 years experience as a creative director in marketing, promotion and public relations for world corporations, not for profits and government organizations Ms. Bennish’s abilities encompass the creative, strategic planning and campaign development. She is an accomplished painter of wildlife and her work has been published, exhibited in galleries and museums. Her paintings in the book, Endangered Parrots of the World is found in libraries of collectors around the world.

Mr. Trevor J. Clarke, J.D.

Trevor J. Clarke is an attorney practicing law in Chicago, Illinois. His experience includes work in diverse areas of the law, including regulatory compliance, intellectual property, human rights, and not-for-profit law. Trevor earned his J.D. summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the DePaul College of Law in 2010, though he spent one semester of his studies in Ireland at University College Dublin. While a law student, he worked as a summer associate and legal clerk for a boutique intellectual property law firm focusing on pharmaceutical patent litigation. Trevor was subsequently awarded a Sullivan Fellowship from the International Human Rights Law Institute to travel to Peru and use his patent law experience to assist the Peruvian National Commission against Biopiracy in its efforts to protect the intellectual property rights of indigenous peoples. He continued to work on intellectual property and human rights from Chicago and was awarded another fellowship to carry on his research. Trevor also served as the first legal extern in the Office of General Counsel at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, where he gained experience with domestic and international grant making, and conducted research to inform foundation’s internal policies. Also active within the law school, Trevor served as Director of Business Operations for the Health Law Institute and was a published staff writer with the Journal of Arts, Technology, and Intellectual Property Law. Prior to pursuing his legal career, Trevor, who earned a B.S. in biology from the University of Michigan, was engaged in basic science research at the Feinberg Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern University. There, he focused on microscopy and histology and coauthored several publications. His extensive international experience, including two years as an English instructor in Japan, has proven invaluable to his work in laboratories and legal arenas populated by colleagues from around the world. In addition to contributing to WEI as a research fellow, Trevor volunteers his time and skills to the Illinois Environmental Counsel and the Working Bikes Cooperative.

Mr. RAMON CHRISTOPHER, MBA.

Ramon Christopher is a personal and professional development consultant. He has been retained by Fortune 100 companies, educational institutions, small businesses and non-profit organizations. His work is based in the knowledge that entities have much in common with each other, and that bonds between entities can be easily formed once there is a realization of commonality. Ramon was born and raised in Des Moines, IA, in a mixed-race household. He credits this experience for his talent for helping people from different cultures to understand and respect each other. Ramon completed his B.S. at Truman State University and earned his M.B.A. in Marketing and Business Development from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. In addition to his corporate work, he consults with individuals and organizations to execute creative solutions to any number of issues. He lives in Des Moines, IA with his wife and two children.

Ms. Andrea Cristancho, B.A.

Andrea Cristancho is a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Romania as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) volunteer. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, Ms. Cristancho was a consultant for school districts outside of Chicago who were developing their bilingual services for students. Ms. Cristancho mediated conversations between the immigrant parents and school board to enrich the bilingual services and strengthen parent’s leadership in schools. Ms. Cristancho graduated from DePaul University with a major in Political Science and Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. She participated in a study abroad trip to El Salvador where she conducted research on Maquiladora workers and completed her thesis on Venezuelan politics. In addition to being a volunteer, she also serves as the president of the Gender and Development Committee of Peace Corps Romania.

Ms. Radha Friedman, M.A/M.S.

Radha Friedman is Director of Programs at The World Justice Project. Prior to this appointment she served as a Senior Development Specialist with Landesa, an NGO working to end global poverty by helping the world’s poorest gain rights to land and natural resources—especially women. With over 15 years of experience in the civil society sector, Radha has worked on development programs in China, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Czech Republic and India, where she also lived in 1997. Radha joined Landesa in 2005 and became its first Director of Global Communications, where she led global advocacy initiatives to elevate land rights as a development priority. She created and led Landesa’s first convening on International Women’s Day, now in its sixth year, to unite global leaders and draw attention to women’s property rights. Radha has produced an award-winning short film and helped produce a feature-length PBS documentary on farmers’ land rights in India, China and Rwanda. She is currently collaborating on a film with USAID. In 2009, Radha helped launch the Global Center for Women’s Land Rights at Landesa, where she served as Deputy Director until 2011, when the Center was fully funded and staffed. In that role, she helped to build strategic alliances with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S. State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, Clinton Global Initiative, World Bank, Omidyar Network and Nike Foundation. In her current role, Radha manages philanthropic partnerships with global foundations and private sector partners. Before joining Landesa, Radha worked with the Constitutional Rights Foundation where she helped Eurasian youth deliberate public policy issues through global digital summits. Prior to this, Radha was the Associate Director (and first full-time employee) of the SKS Foundation, the largest MFI in India providing micro-loans to women. She currently serves on the board of ITIM, a Tibetan rights organization. Radha has an M.A. in International Studies / M.S. in Public Service Administration from DePaul University, a B.A. in South Asian Studies from Antioch College, and a certificate in Cross-Sector Partnerships from the University of Cambridge, U.K. Radha was a Fellow with the World Affairs Council in 2009, and was selected as a Global Leader for Justice by the Global Women’s Leadership Network in 2010.

Mr. Paul J. Kellner, M.Sc.

Paul J Kellner’s work focuses on humanitarian assistance for health, migration, and children’s issues. He has coordinated large-scale, migrant-focused programs for Columbia University’s Program on Forced Migration and Health and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Further, Paul has built multi-sector working groups of humanitarian actors in Uganda, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, as well as on a global level. In 2010, he was awarded a Luce Scholarship to work with a public policy NGO in Jakarta, and in 2011 he was a recipient of Fulbright-Hays funding for advanced Indonesian language studies. Paul holds a M.Sc. from the University of Wisconsin and B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

Ms. Brooke Lautz, M.A., J.D.

Brooke Lautz graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2007 summa cum laude with a degree in International Studies; she graduated with a JD in 2011 from the DePaul College of Law, where she was a Sullivan Fellow at the International Human Rights Law Institute for the 2010-2011 academic year. She earned a Master's Degree in International Studies that same year, and her thesis, "Fair Trade and Development Goals in the Coffee Sector" was successfully defended with distinction in March 2011. She has researched and written extensively on human rights law and international development and contributed to a variety of papers and articles. She is currently assisting in organizing an anti-human trafficking program in Vietnam co-sponsored by WEI and the National Vietnamese University in the summer of 2012.

MR. BERNARD MARKUŠIĆ, B.A., M.A. (ABD).

Bernard Markušić serves as member of the External Youth Relations Committee of the Croatian Democratic Union (CDU), Zagreb (Croatia). He also serves as President of the Supervisory Board of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA), Zagreb. He previously served as the President of the European Law Students' Association (Croatia). Bernard’s professional and research interests primarily focus on the synergies between human rights, security, and social/economic development. He is a member of the Croatian Academic Union and Croatian United Nations Association. Most recently, his paper, "Outsourcing in the Defence Sector," was published in the Journal of Theory and Practice of Public Administration;” a publication of the Croatian and Comparative Public Administration (CCPA) and the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb. His previous publication "The theory of the genesis of human trafficking in South Eastern Europe through the analysis of the impacts of militarization, political processes and the global economy" was awarded with Chancellor's Award for best student paper and was published by "Pravnik" Law Journal, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb.Mr. Markušić is completing his Masters of Law from the University of Zagreb (Pravni Fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu).

Mr. Rodrigo Antonio “Toño” Merino-Arango, J.D., M.S.

Toño is the Associate Director for Global Initiatives at the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) International Group. Toño provides leadership to Y-USA’s international capacity-building initiatives in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. In addition, he plays a critical role in supporting local U.S. YMCAs to further integrate a global dimension into their mission and business practices and the advancement of inclusion within the YMCA movement. Through his extensive professional and volunteer experiences, Toño has acquired expertise in sustainable community development, relief and rehabilitation, global leadership development, cross-cultural communication, and immigrant integration. Prior to joining Y-USA, Toño worked for the YMCA of Lebanon supporting relief efforts, youth civic engagement, and day camp programs. He also has more than 13 years of volunteer experience at the program and policy levels with the YMCA of Mexico and the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs. Toño was born and raised in Mexico City where he earned a Law Degree from LaSalle University and holds an M.S. in International Public Service from DePaul University in Chicago. Toño research interests include the relationship between migration and development prospects of migrants’ countries of origin and global philanthropy. He has professional and volunteer experience in more than 25 countries, including states with limited recognition. He is native in Spanish, fluent in English, and has conversational skills in Arabic and German.

Ms. Tamara L. Miller, J.D.

Tamara L. Miller is a managing partner in MillerMasciola, a law firm specializing in military medical malpractice, federal civil rights compliance and employment law, military negligence, healthcare provider credentials, major personal injury, military criminal defense, and national security law. Her civil service in three federal agencies, active and reserve military service, spans 25 years and includes seven years of experience as a Senior Executive. At the Department of Health & Human Services, Ms. Miller was a Deputy Director in the Office for Civil Rights. As a Senior Executive, she provided national-level leadership and oversight to ten regional offices and headquarters staff to investigate and resolve compliance concerns in HHS-funded programs through enforcement action, technical assistance and training. She helped to enforce federal civil rights laws through settlements and corrective action in over 20 major cases involving denial of access or unfair treatment due to race and disability in healthcare, social services and child welfare. At the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Ms. Miller served as Special Counselor to the Assistant Secretary, where she established the Office of the Special Counselor. In this position, she was responsible for the TSA Offices of Civil Rights and Liberties, Privacy, Freedom of Information, Ombudsman, Executive Secretariat, GAO/IG Audit Liaison, Sensitive Security Information, and Transportation Security Redress. As a Senior Executive, she also served as TSA’s Director of Civil Rights, where she led programs in equal employment opportunity, alternative dispute resolution, external civil rights compliance, and diversity management, and earned the TSA Gold Award for Leadership. At the Department of Justice, Ms. Miller successfully prosecuted numerous federal criminal civil rights cases involving hate crimes, police brutality, and slavery, as a Deputy Chief in the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section. She was also in private practice as a senior litigation associate at the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi in Washington, D.C., where she represented corporate clients and individuals in employment law and general civil litigation. Ms. Miller served nine years as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force and 14 years in the reserves, where she held progressively senior positions. In September 2001, she led a staff of attorneys and paralegals, and advised commanders on multi-faceted state and federal legal issues relating to homeland defense. She retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2006 as a Lieutenant Colonel, earning numerous military awards and decorations for her service. Ms. Miller earned her B.A. degree, with honors, from the University of Notre Dame in 1982; her J.D. degree from Michigan Law School in 1985; and is a member of the Illinois Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. She is married and has two children.

Mr. Daniel Pasquini-Salazar, M.S.

Daniel is a graduate of DePaul University´s Masters of International Public Service Program where he was awarded the University Ministry Presidential Fellowship. He has a decade of experience in program development, management and evaluation for both international and US-Based NGOs and academic programs. His international work has focused mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean on community-led initiatives concentrating on capacity building of local organizations and sustainable development confronting a variety of issues including poverty alleviation, youth leadership and development, food security, conflict resolution, violence prevention, social and health services development and economic initiatives. Daniel also has an extensive research background addressing topics such as social justice movements in Latin America, human trafficking awareness initiatives, community and university partnerships in service-learning, services for Latino youth and families experiencing homelessness in Chicago, emergency food services and urban agriculture. Besides English, Daniel speaks Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, and conversational Tagalog.

_Mr. Mikael M. Pyrtel

Mikael M. Pyrtel has joined the World Engagement Institute (WEI) as a Research Fellow. Mr. Pyrtel’s academic tenure includes work in U.S. and foreign embassies, government research agencies, and non-profit organizations. His past experience includes volunteer research projects with the Commercial Section of the Iraqi Embassy in Washington, D.C. In his capacity as a graduate assistant, he worked to strengthen Iraq’s trade capacity by providing expertise in analyzing international trade and financial information, compiling lists of books and journals for Iraq’s Ministry of Trade Library Project, developing newsletters and communication strategies, and meeting with representatives from the United States Office of the Trade Representative (USTR) to discuss strengthening Iraq’s performance in trade preference programs. He also provided training to junior research assistants in commercial diplomacy, country risk analysis, and analysis of trade and investment agreements. Mr. Pyrtel also has management experience as an Interim Trade Officer with the Agriculture Section at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia, where he was made an Honorary Attaché. Among his duties, he edited published reports for the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) and participated in fact-finding missions, technical policy discussions, and marketing events. He has also supported priority research projects in market and trade economics for the USDA’s Economic Research Service, as well as education, outreach, and legislative advocacy efforts for the Council on Food, Agriculture, and Resource Economics in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Mary Sommers, M.S.

Mary Sommers is the founder and Academic Affairs Director of the Midwest Maternal Child Institute (MMCI). The Institute offers a comprehensive midwifery education in its Certified Professional Midwife Program, and a certificate in childbirth education, labor support and lactation education in its Perinatal Educator Program. Mary has attended and assisted at more than 1,000 births in the United States, Mexico, and Malawi. Early in her career, she co-founded Chicago Community Midwives, a not-for-profit homebirth service. Mary has since worked for more than twenty years in community health as an administrator and director of maternal child health programs. She has also worked as a midwife, doula, and lactation consultant for various private practices in the Chicago area and Madison, and has supervised several nurse-midwifery practices. Mary was a World Health Organization fellow, studying maternal health and breastfeeding programs in the Netherlands and England. In addition, she is the site clinical director at Erie Family Health Center-Humboldt Park. She is also works at PCC Community Wellness Center as a Professional Recruiter and Director of Birth Center Development. She is a consultant for Comprehensive Wellness Care, an obstetrics and gynecology practice located in Chicago, Illinois. In her new book, More Than a Midwife, Mary shares stories of glory, grace and joy, as well as heartbreak and tragedy, experienced during through her 20-plus years of working with mothers and their infants. Her stories are published in Hektoen International Journal. She is the author of two midwifery skills manuals and a doula training manual. Her midwifery manuals are part of the curriculum in midwifery schools in northern Malawi and CASA-professional midwifery school in San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico. She has been an advisory board member of CASA since 1995. Mary is a Certified Professional Midwife licensed in Wisconsin; She is an IBCLC and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Service from DePaul University.

Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, Ph.D.

Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. He previously served as Director of Internships and Professional Development in International Affairs and Lecturer in Political Science and International Affairs at Florida State University. His research focuses on International Relations, Conflict Studies, the evaluation of transitional justice tools, post-conflict reconstruction issues, and labor and welfare issues in emerging economies. His most recent book, Truth Commissions and Transitional Societies was published by Routledge (2010). Eric is also the author of several book chapters and his articles have appeared in journals such as the International Journal of Transitional Justice, Journal of Human Rights, and International Studies Perspectives. Currently, he is doing research on post-2011 attempts by Arab governments to address human rights violations and the Syrian diaspora’s efforts to craft a transitional justice strategy for the country. He served as a volunteer with the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Diaspora Project between 2007 and 2009. Eric has also held positions at DePaul University’s International Human Rights Law Institute, AON Hewitt, and UNLV. Eric earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.