Staff

Maryam Durani is the director of Khadija Kubra Women’s Association for Culture and serves as an advocate for women in Kandahar. First elected as a Kandahar Provincial Council Member in 2005 and for a second term in 2009, Durani served as one of only four women on the Council. She is an outspoken advocate for peace and the rights of women and girls in Afghan society, as well as for basic civil rights for all Afghan citizens.

Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar is a radio journalist and the managing director of Nai Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan. Apart from his work as a journalist, Khalvatgar has been an activist for freedom of expression and free media for more than 15 years. He has been active in the Media Law Working Group, a group of more than 15 media professionals working for better media law in Afghanistan, and contributed to the Journalists Ethics Codes; the first code of ethics for the media community in Afghanistan.

Omaid Sharifi is a curator and President at ArtLords, a grassroots movement of artists and volunteers motivated by the desire to pave the way for social transformation and behavioural change through employing the soft power of art and culture as a non-intrusive approach. He also directs Wartists and Rebel Art Café and is publisher of the newly established Kabul Diplomate Magazine.

Mirwais Wardak is the managing director at Peace Training and Research Organization (PTRO), where he has contributed to research projects and evaluations. He is a development worker and researcher with almost 20 years of experience working with the aid community in Afghanistan, and has focused on projects related to human security, community development, peacebuilding, conflict resolution and civil society development. He received his MA from the Post- War Recovery Unit at the University of York in 2005.

Ms Manizha Wafeq is the co-founder and president of Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI), and a facilitator at the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS®️ program for the past 13 years. She is the co-founder of several organizations advocating women’s economic empowerment, including the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS®️ Network, and Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan’s Development (LEAD), that preceded the AWCCI. Her efforts have contributed to several policy recommendations being incorporated into national policy, including a recommendation that 15-25% of industrial parks are allocated to small, medium and women-owned businesses in the national industrial park’s policy.

Mary Akrami is the director of the Afghan Women’s Network. She is also the former Executive Director of the Afghan Women Skills Development Center, the organization that established the first shelter for women at risk in 2003. In additions to promoting women’s contribution in community based peace building and conflict resolution, Mary has been engaged in advocacy and campaigning for women’s inclusion within the political and peace processes, including the 2010 Peace Consultative Jirga & the 2011 Grand Assembly for Peace Process.

Orzala Nemat is the director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) and an Afghan activist and scholar in political ethnography. She has founded an organisation, led and worked with various grassroots, national and international organizations for more than 17 years. She served on various development organizations’ boards and attended numerous international and national conferences representing voices from Afghanistan and Afghan women. She holds a Ph.D. in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and MSc in Development Planning from the University College London (UCL).

Masoumeh Jami is a women advocate and has worked in the field of rights and awareness-raising of women’s legal issues. Previously, she worked on rural development for the UN-Habitat– AwEC Project.
She also was the charge of the Women’s Council of the Zinda Jan district. She was also the secretary of the Good Governance Committee in Herat province for two years. She has BA degree in Farsi literature from Herat University.

Sayed Hussain Anosh is the executive director of the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN). He has worked extensively with Afghan civil society in the field of capacity-building, project management, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy and human rights. He is a dedicated civil society activist and human rights defender. He holds an MA in Arts specialized in Security and Politics, from the University of OSCE Academy in Bishkek.

Rasool Mohamamd is the former secretary and director for the peace council in Khost province. Previously, he worked as a member of a conflict resolution commission with TLO and as district governor for Tani district of Khost Province. He is specialized tribal conflict analysis and resolution. He graduated from Teacher Training Institute of Kunduz Province in 1973 and attended the Police Academy in the Department of Politics of the Latvian Republic in 1968.

Abdul Hameed Safwat is the president of the Union of Civil Society Organization of Balkh and director of the Cooperation & Development Organization since 2015. He previously worked for the Afghanistan Democracy and Development Organization (ADDO). He has an MA in Political Science from Tehran University, Iran, and has published several papers.

Mohammad Ibrahim Tawala is the owner and managing director of Bamiayn Seda-e-Sharwand Weekly Magazine and member of the Civil Society and Human Right Network. He specialises in peacebuilding, human rights, elements of democracy, situation in the country, good governance has previously worked with the COSPE project funded by European Union to support human rights defenders, and the Equality for Peace and Democracy Organization (EPD). He has a BA in Language and Literature from Bamiyan University.

Lailuma Nasiri is the co-founder and president of Afghanistan Justice Organization, and has previously worked with several national and international organizations. She is specialised in program management, implementation, evaluation and performance, as well as women’s access to justice and countering violence extremism. She holds a BA in Public Administration from Bircham International University.

Sami Mahdi is the Kabul Bureau Chief of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Afghan Service, locally known as Radio Azadi. Previously, he was the Director of the PAYK Investigative Journalism Center, a former strategic advisor to Tolonews, C.E.O. of Khurshid TV, and the Director of News and Current Affairs at Afghanistan’s 1TV. He has reported groundbreaking stories, conducted exclusive interviews with policymakers and leaders, and hosted popular talk shows on Afghanistan’s security, political, economic, and social issues. In 2012, Mr. Mahdi was awarded the prestigious Knight International Journalism Award from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) for his excellent and courageous reporting. Mr. Mahdi holds a BA from the School of Law and Political Science of Kabul University and a MA in International Relations from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, as a Fulbright Scholar.

Rehela Sidiqi is the founder and Director of the Farkhunda Trust for Afghan women’s education. She is also the co-founder and strategic member of the Afghan Women’s Network. She has served with different international organizations since 1993. She has a master’s degree in Social Development and Sustainable Livelihoods, International Rural Development Department (IRDD), Faculty of Agriculture, University of Reading, United Kingdom.

Rehela Sidiqi is AMIP steering committee member and the founder and director of the Farkhunda Trust for Afghan women’s education. She is also the co-founder and strategic member of the Afghan Women’s Network. She has served with different international organizations since 1993. She has a master’s degree in Social Development and Sustainable Livelihoods, International Rural Development Department (IRDD), Faculty of Agriculture, University of Reading, United Kingdom.