Our people

Bénédicte manages Peace Direct’s work in the Great Lakes and Central Africa regions, primarily in Burundi, CAR, and the DRC, where she supports partner initiatives relating to peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Her experience has spanned the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where she has worked with civil society on topics including links between corruption and conflict, post-conflict governance, and the protection of civilians. She previously worked with Transparency International’s Defence and Security programme and with the Center for Civilians in Conflict. 

Bénédicte holds an undergraduate degree in French and Common Law from the Université Toulouse 1 Capitole and an LL.M. in Public International Law with a focus on international humanitarian law and human rights law from Queen Mary, University of London. 

Amal is the Global Campaign Coordinator at Peace Direct.

She oversees the co-creation work that brought together ten local peacebuilders from around the world as co-creators of a campaign that raises awareness about local peacebuilding. Her work focuses on designing the overall journey, looking after the progress of the campaign creation, facilitating weekly co-creation sessions, collaborating with design agencies, and organising the co-creators group. 

She previously worked with organisations dedicated to strengthening citizen action and reporting on civic space violations, especially on Freedoms of Assembly, Expression and Association.

Malcolm supports the Peace Direct finance team with a specific focus on Programmes and partner support, although the remit extends to general team support as required.  

Malcolm worked in the City and Internationally in the financial services (reinsurance and life assurance) sector for over 20 years initially in finance and ultimately serving as a Chief Executive.  

Between 2005 and 2011 he lived in France and in 2012 returned to live in London and transitioned to the not-for-profit sector. He has undertaken several overseas assignments, including working with the Global Fund in Senegal and was Interim Director of Finance and Resources at the Disasters Emergency Committee for 18 months in 2018 – 2019. 

He joined Peace Direct as a consultant in September 2022. 

Ebou leads and manages partnerships and projects in Myanmar, Sudan and Nigeria. He leads locally led peacebuilding initiatives with a focus on social cohesion and violence prevention.
He has over 15 years’ experience in operations, management, and coordination of disasters/humanitarian relief and community-based development & social cohesion interventions. He focuses on capacity strengthening and cooperation. Prior to joining Peace Direct, Ebou has worked at The Gambia Red Cross Society, IFRC – Sahel Country Cluster (Dakar), Muslim Aid UK – London, and MA UK – Myanmar.
Ebou holds an MA in Diplomacy (University of Birmingham, UK), MSc in Peace and Development Work (Linnaeus University, Sweden), and a BSc (Hons) Disaster Management (Coventry University, UK).

Enrica is responsible for leading and managing research projects, as well as coordinating with other teams within Peace Direct on research opportunities. She currently manages the ‘Pamoja Kwa Amani Ya Beni’ project, funded by the Carnegie Corporation to improve coordination among early warning and atrocity prevention networks in Eastern DRC. She is also supporting Peace Direct’s research work on Decolonising Systems.  

She has previously consulted on monitoring, evaluation, research and learning, providing technical assistance and advice around aid effectiveness in programmes on peacebuilding, conflict prevention, P/CVE and democratic processes. She specialises in mainstreaming gender and inclusivity in research, and has supported among others the UK’s FCDO and ICAI, the World Bank, UN agencies, INGOs and foundations. 

Enrica holds an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Development Studies from the Graduate Institute, Geneva. She has a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Nottingham, UK. 

Gilah is responsible for supporting Peace Direct’s partnerships and programmes, as well as the Finance and Operations team. She facilitates programme management and delivery, and financial documentation and administration. Currently, she is working with partners and colleagues in decolonising MEL processes and the Local Action Fund initiative. 

Gilah previously worked at Campaña Colombiana Contra Minas, researching and supporting Global South-South humanitarian de-mining efforts. She holds an MA in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies from King’s College London, and a BA in Modern Languages and Cultures (Arabic and Spanish) from Durham University.  

Jasmine is responsible for communicating our work and approach to policymakers, funders, and our peers in the peacebuilding sector. She supports the production and dissemination of our research publications, as well as our advocacy communications. She also participates in our external sector communications networks, and curates our quarterly newsletter, The Peacebuilder. 

Jasmine has prior experience in communications and engagement for the Cultural Competency programme at King’s College London, and in programme development for Identity Literacy and conflict transformation at the OICD. She holds a BSc in Anthropology from UCL, and an MA in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies from KCL.

Jennifer is responsible for supporting the International Programmes team in their day to day work with partners, and for coordinating our atrocity prevention work in Burundi and DRC. 

Jennifer is also a co-designated Safeguarding Lead within Peace Direct and can be contacted through [email protected] with any safeguarding concerns or queries. 

She has over 10 years experience working in human rights, with a particular focus on the rights of women, children and young people in Latin America. Before joining the Peace Direct team, she was Programmes Manager for an NGO working in Colombia, supporting local partners to build safer communities through youth advocacy, psychosocial support and rights education. 

Jennifer has an MA in Human Rights from UCL and a BA in Law (Jurisprudence) from Oxford University. 

Jennifer is responsible for overseeing our cross-organisational communications strategy. She works across teams to facilitate production of key publications and support the development of messages for all our audiences. She also manages content on our sister platform, Peace Insight. 

Jennifer has a background in journalism, focusing on human rights and international justice, and was formerly the Multimedia Journalist and Content Editor at the International Bar Association. She holds an MA and BA in Creative Writing, from City, University of London, and Keele University, respectively. 

Kaamilah is responsible for all aspects of programme finance, supporting the Finance & International Programmes teams as well as our partners with reporting and financial management. 
She started her career in the private sector where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ACA). After graduating with an MA in Poverty & Development from the Institute of Development Studies, she worked at a female education INGO in monitoring and evaluation before joining Peace Direct. 
Kaamilah is also a school governor at a local primary school and a keen baker.

Kit is Peace Direct’s Policy and Advocacy Manager, responsible for our advocacy efforts in the UK, aimed at key stakeholders including policymakers, donors and the peacebuilding and international development sectors. Previously at the Bond network, he coordinated cross-sector strategies for holding UK government to account for its delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2021 G7. 

In former roles, he has concentrated on international LGBT+ and minority rights, youth empowerment and the British Overseas Territories (BOTs), while living and working in Addis Ababa, Budapest, Glasgow and London. He holds an MPhil in Development Studies, for which his thesis focussed on pastoralism and post-development.  

As HR Manager, Lesley is responsible for the overall strategic direction of HR within Peace Direct, as well as our people-related processes and culture.  She comes to Peace Direct with over 25 years HR experience, spanning global and SME organisation across the private and charity sector. Lesley holds membership status of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD) from Middlesex University and an HND in Business and Finance.  She has worked in a homeless charity and more recently came to us from a charity focussing on research in environment and development. 

Maaz is responsible for overseeing portfolios of international programs and leading our Local Action Fund (LAF) programme. He also leads efforts to explore, implement, and promote flexible ways of resourcing local peacebuilding efforts more widely. Maaz has over 8 years of experience working in project management in the humanitarian sector for the UN in Sudan, and the IOM, and possesses in particular, experience working with partners and consortia. As well as being a trained veterinarian, Maaz holds a postgraduate diploma in Humanitarian Action from Fordham University, and an MA in Human Rights Law from SOAS.

Manoela is a Senior Programmes Officer at Peace Direct, responsible for supporting our work in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and beyond. On a daily basis, she coordinates with partners in those countries and supports them in developing and implementing locally-led initiatives to prevent violence and support long-term peace. 

With an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS, University of London, and a BA in International Relations from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Manoela’s career has been focused on supporting programme implementation and helping to improve policy and practice in the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors – while contributing to better integrating them through the “triple nexus” approach. Her experience includes working with grassroots organisations, government institutions and INGOs, including International Alert, the British Council and the EU. Among her many interests, Manoela is particularly devoted to promoting a human rights-based approach to P/CVE and exploring the links between underlying grievances and political violence. 

Mélina is responsible for supporting Peace Direct’s research, including our work on Decolonising Systems and atrocity prevention research in the Great Lakes region. She is currently working on responsible partnership transitions to locally-led entities through the USAID-funded Stopping As Success project. 

Mélina previously worked at Demilitarise Education (@dED_UCATION), an organisation she co-founded whose mission is get universities in the UK to end their ties with the global arms trade. She is also a founding member of Minorities in Peace and Security, a network working to meaningfully engage marginalised communities in peacekeeping, peacebuilding, security & community engagement. 

Mélina holds a B.A in Political Science with a minor in History from the University of Miami, in Florida, and an M.A in Security and International Law from the University of Manchester.  

Mishal is responsible for delivering Peace Direct’s individual giving programme, nurturing relationships with supporters and inspiring people to continue supporting our work. 

Mishal has prior experience in theatre fundraising and activism, where she focused on championing underrepresented voices in the arts. She holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Cambridge.  

Oscar is responsible for raising the digital profile of Peace Direct and building strong relationships with our supporter base. 

He holds a BSc in Politics, Governance and History from Canterbury Christ Church University, and an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Manchester. 

Raaval is responsible for supporting Peace Direct’s research work on Decolonising the System. He facilitates online Platform4Dialogue discussions, conducts qualitative data analysis and drafts research reports. His work currently focuses on the “Decolonising Peacebuilding Practice” research project as well as supporting on the “Local Voices for Peace” and USAID funded “Stopping As Success” projects. 

Raaval has previously worked on research projects that advocate for the decolonisation of secondary school education in the U.K. Raaval holds an M.A in Social Anthropology with a focus on identity and belonging in ethnic minorities from SOAS, University of London and a B.A in History from the University of Cardiff.  

Richard is responsible for data management at Peace Direct, ensuring supporter information and donations are effectively captured and processed, with a remit to further develop data systems. 

Richard graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a BA in Media Arts and has a background in web, print and data management, with over 15 years’ experience working in the non-profit sector. He has previously worked with Kidscape, NHS Lambeth and Minority Rights Group, as well as smaller freelance projects, and volunteered for the Campaign Against Arms Trade. 

Ruby ensures that learning is embedded in Peace Direct’s internal and external work. She collaborates with our global partners to strengthen knowledge, capture learning and measure impact to advance locally led peacebuilding, and our advocacy work, while supporting staff in organisational learning. Ruby comes to Peace Direct with almost 20 years’ global experience in public policy research and advocacy, deliberative conversations, community engagement and institutional development. 

With an M.A. in International Affairs and B.A. in French and Linguistics, from the University of Ghana, Ruby specialises in strengthening capacity for conflict prevention and peace processes, in places of political polarization, religious differences, ethnic, racial and gender divides. She has worked extensively within Africa and the South Pacific; Israel and the United States, using innovative ways of reflecting, learning, documenting, and sharing knowledge.  

Ruth is responsible for developing and ensuring Peace Direct’s content is collected and used ethically across all communications. Working closely with our partners to guarantee stories are truthfully told. Additionally, she is working alongside a group of local peacebuilders to create a global campaign that raises awareness of local peacebuilding. Before Peace Direct, Ruth has worked with various INGOs after obtaining an LLM in International Human Rights Law, Ruth has spent time advocating for change in the hospitality industry to support the mental and physical wellbeing of employees. She also volunteers to support refugees find legal representation as well as helping them resettle in new communities. 

Sam is responsible for liaising with trusts and foundations to secure funding for Peace Direct and our partners. 

Having graduated with an MA in International Development from University of Sussex, he has since worked in Madagascar for the charity SEED Madagascar and for WWF, developing projects and seeking funding from various donors.  

Charlotte is responsible for working with our partners to develop their programmes and to liaise with government, institutions and Trust and Foundations to secure the necessary funding. She represents Peace Direct in the Netherlands to advance our mission. She has been supporting Civil Society Organisations and networks around the world around thematics of peacebuilding, civil-military relations, international criminal law, human rights, and has provided organisational development support as an independent consultant. Charlotte also has experience in managing regional programmatic portfolios in West Africa. She holds a Masters in Bilingual Studies of the Laws of the EU States from University Paris X and an LLM in International Law and Security from Glasgow University.