Matthew Freeman’s passion for racial equity and social justice has led him across the United States and overseas, helping people connect across difference and begin to address the challenges that divide them. Matthew has worked with Members of Congress and the Federal Reserve System, as well as with organizations of all sizes, from Fortune 500’s to small non-profits.
Rob Corcoran is a trainer, facilitator, writer and racial healing practitioner. He has led trustbuilding workshops among diverse and polarized groups across North America, Europe, South Africa, Brazil, India and Australia. Originally from Scotland, he served as the National Director for Initiatives of Change USA and founded its internationally recognized programme, Hope in the Cities, in Richmond, Virginia. He is also a co-founder of the Caux Scholars Program. He collaborated on a dialogue guide for President Clinton’s Initiative on Race.
Irina Fedorenko has just completed a PhD in Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford. She also has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the Far Eastern Federal University of Vladivostok and a Master’s of Environmental Science from the University of Oxford, Green Templeton College. She is a co-founder of the ecosystem restoration company BioCarbon Engineering, that uses drones and other emerging technology to enable land restoration around the world.
Omayma Soltani is a 5th year Pharmacy student, living in Paris and whose parents were originally from Tunisia. She took part in the Learning to be a Peacemaker (LPM) programme in 2018. She writes: ‘I learnt a tremendous amount during the programme. It happened at a critical point in my life when I was starting to consider my role as a citizen, how my cultural background fits into that, and what strengths it gives me.
Laila Serroukh is a Spanish journalism student and photographer. She took part in Learning to be a Peacemaker in 2018.
Nina Runa Essendrop is a Danish artist and larp designer with a masters degree in Theater, Dance and Performance Studies. She has a strong focus on movement, sensory experiences and the meaning of physical action.
Sveinung Nygaard is from Norway and works as a professional composer, with MA in Audio Production from University of Westminster. He has composed music for world handball championship in Qatar, the TV series Freej in Dubai and has his own musical project called FLYT which explores how music can unite a mosaic of cultures. Sveinung believes in telling stories with music and connecting people.
Žofie Kašparová is a professional flute player, working in folk and jazz settings across Europe and with her band the Žofie Kašparová & The Peacock Tree. She's also an ashtanga yoga practitioner and a Buddhist in the Thai Forest Tradition. She studied in Prague, at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and at Charles University. From her teenage years she has had a passion for jazz and has explored many different music styles, including Irish and Balkan folk, gospel and improvisation.