Praveen Abhayaratne

Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Insititutional Affiliation: Independent Consultant, Monterey Institute of International Studies Graduate

Praveen Abhayaratne is currently an independent development consultant working in Sri Lanka. He worked until recently with CARE International in Sri Lanka. He has also worked as a Research Associate in the Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies' Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Research Program (WMDTRP), where he provided day-to-day maintenance and qualitative review of the WMD Terrorism Database. His research interests include WMD terrorism, terrorism, terrorist tactics and targeting, trends in counterterrorism efforts, threat assessment, and international security issues in Asia. He holds a Masters in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies with certificates in Nonproliferation and Conflict Resolution. He holds a B.A. from Washington College, Maryland in International Studies and Economics.

Catalina Acevedo

Country of Origin: Colombia
Insititutional Affiliation: Mayor's Office of Bogota, Colombia

Catalina Acevedo works with the Mayor's Office in Bogota, Colombia. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes and M.A. degrees in Peace and Development Studies from the University of Notre Dame, the University Jaume I, and the European Peace University. She is an established scholar and professor of peace and conflict studies whose research includes studies on domestic and sexual violence, demobilization, reintegration, transitional justice, and ethnic and cultural conflict. Ms. Acevedo has also published works on military reform, the impact of state fragmentation on peace policy, reintegration of guerillas, and human security in Colombia.

dR. Tatsushi Arai

Country of Origin: Japan
Insititutional Affiliation: School for International Training

Tatsushi (Tats) Arai, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Conflict Transformation at the School for International Training (SIT) in Vermont, USA. Before joining SIT, he taught conflict resolution and public policy at George Mason University in Virginia. His commitment in conflict work evolved from his first encounter with victims of radiation sickness in Hiroshima in 1984. His journey in conflict transformation took him to post-genocide Rwanda as a university lecturer of international relations and as a humanitarian NGO representative, to the Japanese branch of an American company as a personnel specialist responsible for managing cross-cultural industrial disputes, and to diverse settings of public peacemaking in the United States, Bosnia, Lesotho, the Taiwan Strait, and elsewhere. Tats' recent publications include: book chapters titled "A Journey Toward Cultural Fluency" and "When the Waters of Culture and Conflict Meet," both in Conflict Across Cultures: A Unique Experience of Briding Differences, edited by M. LeBaron and V. Pillay (2006, Intercultural Press) and an experimental study titled "E-Mediation: Evaluating the Impact of an Electronic Mediator on Negotiating Behavior" with D. Druckman and J. Druckman in Group Decision and Negotiation (2004). His current projects focus on such subjects as creativity and paradigm shifts, symbolism, an East Asia community (including the Yasukuni shrine and Japanese history textbooks) conflict history, and post-conflict reconciliation and development, especially in sub-Sahara Africa. Tats earned a Bachelor's degree in law at Waseda University in Tokyo, a Master's degree in international policy studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California, and a Ph.D. in conflict analysis and resolution at George Mason University. He is a Japanese citizen and married to Yuchun Chen from Taiwan.

dR. Paul Arthur

Country of Origin: Ireland
Institutional Affiliation: School of History and International Affairs, University of Ulster

Dr. Paul Arthur is Course Director of the Graduate Program in Peace and Conflict Studies Professor of Politics at the School of History and International Affairs, University of Ulster. He holds degrees from Queens University Belfast and National University of Ireland. He has authored five books - the latest being "Special Relationships: Britain, Ireland and the Northern Ireland problem" (2001) - and over seventy academic articles. He has been a Senior Fellow at the US Institute of Peace and a Fulbright scholar at Stanford University. He has been involved in Track Two initiatives with British and Irish politicians and with civil society since 1990; and has participated in conflict resolution workshops in Colombia, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Palestine and South Africa. In addition to serving on Global Majority's International Advisory Board, he also sits on the International Advisory Board of the Project on Justice in Transitional Societies. He lectures widely in Europe and the United States.

RICHARD BUTLER

Country of Origin: Australia
Institutional Affiliation: Former Governor of Tasmania, Australia

Richard Butler has had a long, illustrious career in Australian politics, foreign service and intergovernmental organizations. He served as governor of Tasmania, Australia from 2003 to 2004. He was Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission to Disarm Iraq (UNSCOM) from 1997 to 1999. He has served as the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and as Minister and Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. He has also worked as the Australian Ambassador to Cambodia and Thailand. Mr. Butler's policy foci, reflected in numerous publications, have included Australian foreign relations and national security, arms control, nuclear policy, development assistance, HIV/AIDS, population policy, and United Nations reform. He received his Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sidney and his Masters of Economics from Australian National University.

dr. Rita Cameron-Wedding

Country of Origin: United States
Institutional Affiliation: California State University, Sacramento

Rita Cameron Wedding, Ph.D. is the Chair of the department of Women’s Studies and a professor of Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies at California State University, Sacramento. Dr. Cameron Wedding’s scholarship focuses on race and gender disproportionality in institutions like child welfare, and its implications to the education and the criminal justice system. Dr. Cameron Wedding’s work on diversity and social justice is international in scope. Her work in Africa, China and Mexico has focused on the economic status of women, domestic violence, environmental racism and immigration. As a Fulbright Scholar she conducted research in Tanzania and South Africa on women’s informal economy. She is currently working on a collaboration with faculty from California State University, Sacramento, UNISA (University of South Africa) and the Human Rights Foundation of Johannesburg to develop an institute in 2008 to address issues of the African Diaspora. In 2005 and 2007 she was a guest on a national South African talk radio show in Johannesburg and Cape Town South Africa. In 2003 Dr. Cameron Wedding co-edited a text-book, Ethnic America: Reading in Race, Class and Gender. In 2004 she co-authored Institutions, Ideologies and Individuals: Feminist Perspectives on Gender, Race and Class. Also in 2004 Dr. Cameron Wedding received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies at CSUS. Dr. Cameron Wedding served two terms as a Governor’s appointee to the California Commission on the Status of Women and was appointed in 2007 to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Maria Chan

Country of Origin: Singapore
Institutional Affiliation: Monterey Institute of International Studies

Maria Chan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the National University of Singapore and a graduate diploma in Training and Development from the Singapore Institute of Management. She also received her Master of Arts in Commercial Diplomacy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Ms. Chan has over six years of experience in managing and coordinating projects related to community and youth development. She previously worked with the UN Conference for Trade and Development, Singapore International Foundation and the International Commercial Diplomacy Project at the Monterey Institute.

Daniel Garcia Pena

Country of Origin: Colombia
Insititutional Affiliation: Planeta Paz

Daniel Garcia Pena is currently Professor of Political Science at the National University in Bogot, Colombia and director of Planeta Paz, a national project dedicated to building effective grass-roots participation in the peace process. He is a former public policy scholar at Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C., a consultant to the Inter American Development Bank, and a scholar in residence at the School of International Service at American University. He also formerly served as advisor to the High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia. He has written extensive publications on war and peace issues, political analyst for TV news program on AMPM.

Hon. Juan guzman tapia

Country of Origin: Chile
Institutional Affiliation: Universidad Central de Chile

Hon. Juan Salvador Guzmán Tapia is currently Director of the Center of Human Rights Studies at Universidad Central de Chile in Santiago.  He also teaches human rights at the School of Journalism at the Universidad de la República, and criminal law at the School of Law at the Universidad de las Américas. He has published four books and many articles and essays in legal publications. Judge Guzmán is most notably recognized in the international community as the judge who prosecuted former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet on human rights charges. As an Appeals Court Judge, Guzmán opposed the democratically elected Salvador Allende and supported General Pinochet until being assigned, by judicial lottery in 1998, the first criminal cases against him. In 2008, a feature length documentary "The Judge and the General" was produced, which portrays the story of Judge Guzmán's life's work. Guzmán resides in Santiago with his wife, Inez.

Nadia Hashimi

Country of Origin: Afghanistan
Institutional Affiliation: Monterey Institute of International Studies

Nadia is currently attending the Monterey Institute of International Studies in a degree program which will allow her to receive her Bachelors in International Studies and Masters in International Policy Studies (Specialization in International Development) in three consecutive years. She graduated in May 2007. While living in Pakistan during the time of the Taliban, as well as during her time in Kabul after the end of the Taliban regime, she worked with local and internationally-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), most notably CARE, International. Frustrated by the lack of educational opportunities for Afghan refugees, she and her mother also ran a school for refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan. Since moving to the US for her education, she has continued to work for CARE and other organizations, advocating for Afghan women's rights and education. Nadia spent her 2003 summer break interning with CARE San Francisco on advocacy issues relating to Afghanistan and The Asia Foundation on a documentary about women in the country. After the internships, she has continued her advocacy work for Afghanistan through CARE. In one of her presentations, where she shared the stage with congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, she raised $50,000 for CARE's education program. Nadia is a volunteer for several organizations such as The Soly Daywa, Afghan NGO - where she established a widows' vocational training school for 500 women in Kabul with the help of the Sebastopol Rotary Club and the Hayward Sunset Rotary Club in California. She recently helped the Monterey Institute design a language (Farsi) text book for one of their projects with Defense Language institute (DLI).

Luz Maria Helguero

Country of Origin: Peru
Insititutional Affiliation: La Red de Periodistas Provinciales (Network of Provincial Journalists)

Ms. Helguero is a seasoned Peruvian professional with broad international, national and local experience relating to journalism, consensus building, management and community advocacy across a spectrum of issues: environmental, health, political, economic, drug and crime prevention, emergency preparedness, corruption accountability, and literacy. In 2003 she founded La Red de Periodistas Provinciales to provide a forum, support and training for journalists in the provinces of Peru. Since then, they have provided training to 350 journalists throughout Peru in areas where opportunities for training are scant. She was a Reagan-Fascell Fellow with the National Endowment for Democracy and a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University. She received her BA in Journalism and MA in Management Studies from Universidad de Piura, Peru.

Tetsuya Ishizuka

Country of Origin: Japan
Insititutional Affiliation: Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Mr. Ishizuka is a graduate of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He obtained his Master of Arts in Commercial Diplomacy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He focused on the role of NGOs in affecting governmental trade policies and impacts on environment and labor.

George Kun

Country of Origin: Liberia
Insititutional Affiliation: Cambridge University

George is a refugee from Liberia as well as a dedicated advocate for refugee rights. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Luther College. He later continued with his studies as Master's level at the American University, School of International Service in Washington DC. Upon completion of his Master's programme he decided to study law at St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University, where he was accepted to commence studies last fall. He has made a number of presentations around the DC area as a panellist, on television as well as radio and has played pivotal roles in the humanitarian/human rights field while serving as the McCall-Pierpaoli Fellow at Refugees International.

Country of Origin: Japan
Institutional Affiliation: Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University

Professor Kurosawa got his B.A, M.A. and Ph.D. in law at Osaka University, Japan. He was a lecturer, associate professor, and full professor at Niigata University and full professor at Faculty of Law, Osaka University and is at current status since 1994. He was a visiting scholar at University of Virginia from 1980 to 1982 and is currently a visiting Scholar at Center for Nonproliferation Studies at Monterey Institute of International Studies. Since 1999, he serves as an advisor to Atomic Energy Commission of Japan. He was a legal advisor to the Japanese Delegation to the 2000 NPT Review Conference served again at the 2005 conference. He is the author of several books and articles on arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation in both Japanese and English.

Ebba Lindegren

Country of Origin: Sweden
Institutional Affiliation: Invest in Sweden Agency, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Ms. Lindegren graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Human Resource Management and from Uppsala University with a Master of Science in Business and Economics. She then received her Master of Arts in Commercial Diplomacy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She currently works as project manager for Invest in Sweden Agency.

Dr. Bernard Lown

Country of Origin: United States
Insititutional Affiliation: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

Dr. Lown is a Cardiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Lown Cardiology Labs, Boston, MA. He is co-founder of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), winner of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize, and co-founder Physicians for Social Responsibility. He is also President and co-founder of SatelLIfe, which promotes expanded links between health services in the developing world by building links with northern medical institutions and doctors.

Jeffrey Mapendere

Country of Origin: Zimbabwe
Insititutional Affiliation: Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation

Jeffrey is now the Executive Director for the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation (CIIAN), an ADR organization that offers dispute resolution programming through local organizations in a number of conflict zones, including Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Columbia, Haiti, Lebanon, Macedonia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Crimea. Jeffrey is a conflict analyst with extensive expertise in security analysis. He is also highly-experienced in engaging rebel groups and other nonstate actors for dialogue and mediation. As a conflict resolution practitioner, Jeffrey has conducted high-level political analysis and worked on various projects in Mozambique, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Jamaica, and Guyana. He also designs electoral dispute resolution systems for a variety of electoral environments and is a mediator. Mr. Mapendere was a Senior Program Associate in the Conflict Resolution Program at the Carter Center. He is a former rebel fighter in Zimbabwe and has worked on numerous conflict resolution projects throughout Africa for the Carter Center.

Mavis Matenge

Country of Origin: Botswana
Insititutional Affiliation: United Nations Volunteers/United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Ms. Matenge holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Luther College and a Master of Arts in International Policy Studies with certificates in Conflict Resolution and Gender and Development from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She has focused her work on human security, gender-based violence, gender-sensitive policy initiatives, human rights and uprooted populations. Presently Ms. Matenge is serving as a United Nations Volunteer working as a Reproductive Health (RH) and HIV/AIDS Project Officer at the Dukwi Refugee Camp in Botswana. Ms. Matenge has also worked with the Population Reference Bureau, Refugees Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom House.

WILLIAM MONNING, JD*

Country of Origin: United States
Insititutional Affiliation: Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey College of Law

William W. Monning, J.D. (Bill) serves as State Assembly Man for california. He was formerly a professor of International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and as Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Mandell-Gisnet Center for Conflict Management at the Monterey College of Law. He is the former executive director of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) and the Salvadoran Medical Relief Fund (SMRF). Bill has worked as a consultant for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution (IIMCR), and as a Senior Fulbright Scholar in Peru. He is the president and co-founder of Global Majority.

Dr. Boatamo Mosupyoe*

Country of Origin: South Africa
Insititutional Affiliation: California State University, Sacramento

Dr. Boatamo "Ati" Mosupyoe is Professor and Director of Pan African Studies in the Ethnic Studies Department at California State University, Sacramento. She received some of her education in South Africa and her Masters and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. She came to the United States after the loss of her three-year-old son, Thamsanqa, and husband, Simmy, on the same day and at the same time when she was expecting one of her daughters. She worked with the Anti-Apartheid Movement and was also the chair of the South African International Student Organization and a member of its national executive. In addition to being an activist, she is also a scholar who has authored three books, contributed chapters in books, and edited three others. The latest book that she edited is called "SOWETO Explodes" and chronicles the role of the youth and civil society in the struggle against apartheid. Her current research interests focus on immigration issues and recent African immigrants in the U.S. Dr. Mosupyoe has received numerous awards that honor her contribution as a teacher, a peace activist, and a community worker. To name but a few: she has been cited four times in Who's Who Among America's Teachers, received a 1999 Pierce College Outstanding Faculty of the Year award, and received the A Roland Weis Award for her contribution to promoting awareness against genocide. In addition to being on the Global Majority Board of Directors and the International Advisory Board, she promotes bead work of rural South African women in the USA and the world to help alleviate poverty.

Mohamed Mouknass

Country of Origin: Mauritania
Institutional Affiliation: Independent Entrepreneur, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Mr. Mouknass earned his Master of Business Administration from the Institut de Gestion de Paris and his Master of Arts in Commercial Diplomacy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He has also attended many economic workshops throughout Asia. Mr. Mouknass has been a successful entrepreneur in the telecom and fishing industries.

Dr. Joyce Neu

Country of Origin: United States
Institutional Affiliation:Joan Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice

Dr. Neu is Team Leader of the United Nations Standby Team of Mediation Experts. She has mediated in conflicts and conducted conflict assessments in dozens of countries around the world, especially Africa and Central Europe, in her work both as adviser on conflict resolution to former United States President Jimmy Carter and as founding Executive Director of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego.  She has trained trainers and others in conflict resolution and negotiation, including women from central and south Africa. She is a professor of Peace &Justice Studies and is an active international conflict resolution specialist.  

HON. JEANETTE NDHLOVU

Country of Origin: South Africa
Institutional Affiliation:Consul General to Los Angeles

The Honorable Jeanette Ndhlovu was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.  She completed both her primary and secondary education in South Africa, and a year and a half at the University of Zululand.  After the traumatic events of June 16, 1976, that led to the shooting of her younger brother, Hastings Ndlovu, who was a student at that time, she and her two sisters Thandi and Granny left South Africa. Before 1977, she was involved with the ANC underground structures.  She came to the United States in 1977 to help strengthen the anti-apartheid student movement and also to pursue her education.  She enrolled at the University of Missouri where she attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1983.  She later completed a degree in Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
She joined the Observer Mission of the African National Congress (ANC) to the United Nations in 1987 until her departure from the U.S. in 1994.  While with the United Nations Observer Mission, she received a Master of Arts degree from New York University in Counseling Psychology. During her student years in the United States, she was engaged in anti-apartheid campaigns at colleges and universities. She also addressed church, civic, labor and elected officials throughout the United States. In 1994 she left the United States for South Africa where she served on the Management team of the Independent Electoral Commission.
In September 2000 she was appointed Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.  She also served on the Bureau of the World Summit for Sustainable Development as an ex-officio member. She has a passion for human rights, particularly women and children’s rights; it is no wonder that she led South Africa’s New York delegation to the Commission of Human Rights in Geneva where she avidly advocated for these rights. Honorable J. Ndhlovu was appointed as Consul-General of the Republic of South Africa in Los Angeles as of October 2004.

Colonel Surinder Rana

Country of Origin: India
Institutional Affiliation: Center for Contemporary Conflict, Department of National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Col. Rana received his MA in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He also hold an MA in Business Administration from Indira Gandhi National Open University, an MS in Defense Studies from Madras University, a BA in Education from Punjab University, and a BS in Chemistry and Biological Sciences from Guru Nanak Dev University. He currently works with the Center for Contemporary Conflict. He has participated in national and international conferences/workshops related to international security, ethnic conflict, counter-terrorism and asymmetric warfare. He conducts directed and independent research pertaining to South Asia and Asia-Pacific Regions. He also commanded troops in active operations during the 1999 India-Pakistan Conflict in the Kargil region of Kashmir, completed an independent research project for the Indian Army on management of "Women in the Indian Army", and served as Staff Officer at the Force Headquarters with the United Nations Operations in Somalia II (UNOSOM II).

Joanna Rojas-Franco

Country of Origin: Colombia
Institutional Affiliation: Independent Researcher

Joanna Marcela Rojas Franco was born in Bogota- Colombia. She currently works as a consultant in Peace and Development issues at the National Department of Planning and as external consultant for Opcion Legal NGO. Joanna received her MA in International Political and Economic Analysis from the Externado de Colombia University, a degree in Conflict Resolution studies from Los Andes University and a degree in Modern Languages from Pedagogica Nacional University. Rojas Franco has worked with national and international nonprofit and non government organizations on social issues, such as Colombian civil and human rights, peace process, internal armed conflict, displaced and family members of forced disappeared persons. Rojas Franco has participated in several peace dialogues and initiatives, boards and hearings in the Colombian Congress and other scenarios advocating for the victims' rights and legal framework for the protection of children and other vulnerable groups. She also works in human rights issues for two NGOs, where she has facilitated and directed relationships with foundations and other human rights organizations for support, project development and lobbying purposes.

In her own words: I joined Global Majority in 2005, because I strongly believe in dialogue as one of the most effective mechanisms for non violent conflicts resolution. I believe in Global Majority's mission and goals for a better world in peace and respect of human rights and life with dignity for everyone on earth. Therefore, I feel honored to be part of an active international group of representatives of all over the world. I still treasure that moment in Bogotá when I met Bill Monning and Dana, his wife. During more than five hours, we discussed about some of the issues of the internal conflict in Colombia and shared our dreams and hard work to change that reality. Since then, I think I’m not that alone in my beliefs, dedication and hard work within: a) multidimensional and integrated peace, b) effective participation in peace building, particularly, in the case of victims and other segments of the society that still have a voice, and c) braveness and passion in promoting dialogue and other effective mechanisms in negotiation to achieve peace. Finally, I consider that Global Majority is one of the most professional international organizations, and I am thrilled to be a part of such an auspicious and brave group.

Arjan Shahani-Moreno

Country of Origin: Mexico
Institutional Affiliation: Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma

Mr. Shahani-Moreno is a graduate of Tec de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico and a former staff coordinator with the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution (IIMCR). For five years he served as the Manager of the American Bar Association Mediation program in Mexico and ABA's projects in Latin America, promoting the rule of law and the establishment of mediation centers in the region. Currently, Mr. Shahani is the Chief of Communications for Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, a mexican multinnational brewery.

Hillel Schenker

Country of Origin: Israel
Institutional Affiliation: Palestine-Israel Journal

Hillel Schenker is co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal, a Jerusalem-based independent English-language quarterly, initiated and maintained by a group of prominent Israeli and Palestinian academics and journalists. It aims to shed light on, and analyze freely and critically, the complex issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians. Schenker served for 13 years as an editor of New Outlook, the Israeli peace monthly founded in the spirit of Martin Buber's philosophy of dialogue that served as a vehicle for understanding Israeli-Arab affairs and as a catalyst for dialogue and initiatives for peace. He has written for The Guardian, The Nation, Los Angeles Times, L.A. Weekly, Tikkun, Israel Horizons, In These Times, the Israeli-Hebrew-language press and many other print and electronic outlets. He was an activist and co-founder of the Peace Now movement and has served for many years as spokesperson for the Israeli branch of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. He is an International Advisory Board member of the Global Majority center for non-violent conflict resolution based at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Schenker earned his Master of Science in Communications from Clark University and his Bachelor of Arts in Comparative and English Literature from Tel Aviv University.

MAYA SOETORO-NG

Maya Soetoro-Ng has a long and rich background in cultures and education.   She was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and later moved with her family to Honolulu, Hawai'i.  She  attended Barnard College of Columbia, University of Hawai'i, and she was awarded a Masters degree in Secondary Education from NYU's College of Education.  From 1996 to 2000 she  taught  and developed curriculum for The Learning Project, an alternative public middle school on Manhattan's Lower East Side.  After moving back to Hawai'i, Maya resumed her own educational pursuits and in 2006 completed her PHD  in International  Comparative Education.  She is currently a High School teacher at La Pietra, a school for girls, where she teaches World Cultures, US History and the Constitution, and Peacemakers, a course she designed on the power of nonviolence.    Maya is also a lecturer at University of Hawaii's College of Education where she teaches multi-cultural education and the history of education. As a passion of hers, Maya also taught Global Dance for more than a decade.  Maya has traveled extensively and speaks Spanish and Indonesian languages.  She currently resides in Honolulu, Hawai'i with her husband Konrad, and daughter Suhaila, age 4.   

Madoua Teko-Folly

Country of Origin: Togo
Insititutional Affiliation: O.T.B. Enterprises, United Nations Development Programme

Madoua Teko-Folly is a graduate from the Monterey Institute of International Studies where he received an MA in Translation and an MA in International Policy Studies with a specialization in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. He joined Global Majority in 2005 as a Translation Coordinator before becoming later that same year a Member of the Board of Directors. Currently, Madoua is the Director of Business Development at O.T.B. Enterprises, a San Francisco-based consulting firm specializing in nuclear non-proliferation and conflict resolution document translation, policy analysis and research. He works also as an independent Translation and DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) Consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery.

Dr. Isatou Touray

Country of Origin: The Gambia
Institutional Affiliation: Management Development Institute, GAMCOTRAP

Dr. Touray is the Director of GAMCOTRAP, the Gambian Committee on Traditional and Cultural Practices. She is also director of the gender studies department of the Management Development Institute in The Gambia.

Sanho Tree

Country of Origin: Taiwan/United States
Institutional Affiliation: Institute for Policy Studies

Mr. Tree is a Fellow and Director of the Drug Policy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC. The project works to end the domestic and international "War on Drugs" and replace it with policies that promote public health and safety as well as economic alternatives to the prohibition drug economy. The intersection of race and poverty in the drug war is at the heart of the project's work. In recent years the project has focused on the US drug war in Colombia and its attendant "collateral damage". Mr. Tree is also a former military and diplomatic historian. He recently was featured in the ABC/John Stossel documentary on the drug war, which aired in July 2002 and appeared on Politically Incorrect in April of that year. Currently, he serves on the board of Witness for Peace, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Common Sense Legislative Group, and Project Underground.

Dinesh Tripathi

Country of Origin: Nepal
Institutional Affiliation: Supreme Court, Nepal

Mr. Tripathi is an Advocate in the Supreme Court of Nepal. He has been a public interest and human rights lawyer for 14 years. In this role, he has conducted countless cases in the Supreme Court, as well as delivered lectures and paper presentations in various national, regional and international seminars, conferences, forums and workshops regarding human rights, peace & non-violent conflict resolution, democratization and the rule of law. He is also a regular contributor in various national newspapers and journals. Mr. Tripathi has been an active participant in the struggle towards democracy in Nepal, utilizing the rule of law to affect change, particularly since the royal coup in February of 2005. He received his LLM in constitutional law from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Ramiz Younis

Country of Origin: Palestine
Insititutional Affiliation: Save the Children

Ramiz Younis holds Masters Degree in International Policy Studies from Monterey Institute of International Studies (California, USA) in the field of human rights and conflict resolution (2007). He also holds a B.A. in psychology from Birzeit University, Palestine (2000).

*While these individuals are public officials, they are service Global Majority as private citizens.