Health & Environment

Mahdi Lafram was the team leader for the Environmental Youth Ambassadors (EYA) at local NGO Dar Si Hmad. The EYA is environmental education and advocacy program which aims to galvanize youth for the environment through media, advocacy and engagement in Morocco. Born and raised in a small village in Southwest Morocco, Mahdi was the first of his family to graduate from high school and attend university. Currently a Master’s candidate in Business at the Ecole Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion in Agadir, Mahdi also studied Leadership at Benedictine University as a 2015 U.S.-MEPI Student Leader.

Melissa Diamond is the Founder and Executive Director of A Global Voice for Autism and is passionate about issues related to disability, migration, trauma and community. Melissa holds a Masters in Conflict, Security and Development and is a Rotary Peace Fellow from the University of Bradford, a Certificate of Social Entrepreneurship from Watson University in Boulder, Colorado and a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Richmond. Melissa’s work has been recognised by the United Nations, the SDSN Youth Solutions Report, The Clinton Global Initiative University, The Resolution Project, the Global Entrepreneurship Community Summit in Malaysia, and more. In 2014 and 2017, she was featured on expert panels at the United Nations in New York to share best practices for supporting children with autism and their families in conflict-affected communities.

Becca Farnum is an environmental peacebuilding researcher and educator. She works at the intersections of environmental activism, conflict resolution, and capacity-building with a particular passion for justice and equity, leveraging academia for public service and policy impact. Her work has included contributing to United Nations and International Law Commission policy on environmental peacebuilding; engaging underrepresented students in university learning through Widening Participation initiatives; and a stint with Michelle Obama’s Correspondence Team at The White House. Becca was part of the 2013 AMENDS class and currently serves as the AMENDS Global Fellows Director of Administration.

A dreamer, a doctor, a trainer, a motivatiobal speaker and a social entrepreneur. Zina was socially engaged since the age of 18, seeving as project manager and excutive board in AIESEC, co-founder of the Algerian center for social entrepreneurship, then the butterly effect, an educational initiative that works on making personal development, global citizenship and sustainable development trainings accessible to all. Its flaship projects are Wadjihni, a career guidance camp for high schoolers and the innovative teachers academy, a training program for teachers. Zina is alumna of study of the US institute on social entrepreneurship at the university of Connecticut.

Karim El Solh is the founder and CEO of Alternative Energy Group, a leading solar company in Lebanon. After graduating from the American University of Beirut, Karim co-operated with a US based solar company and conducted market analysis and identified the importance of renewable energy to solve the burdensome electricity situation that Lebanon has. AEG has proven highly successful, securing multiple solar projects in Lebanon including one of the first large scale hybrid PV-Diesel projects in the Middle East. The company has since established strategic partnership with one of the region’s largest genset manufacturer to promote sustainable energy with conventional power sources.

Rahmeh Abu Shweimeh is a pharmacy graduate, an entrepreneur, a social activist, a US department of State alumna, Open Hands Initiative fellow, AMENDS fellow and she was also recently chosen to be member of the first Women Leaders Network in Jordan. Currently, Rahmeh is the CEO and founder of RideAct, which is a technological platform that will allow users to find the most suitable and nearest transportation mean, in addition to rating public transportation services and to create communities where car-pooling is encouraged. Rahmeh has also been a speaker in number of national and international events such as Women’s International day and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.

Mohammed Ali is a Sudanese medical doctor, human rights activist and trainer on soft skills and non-formal education. Currently a Young Leader with Women Deliver, he focuses on advocacy, managing activities and providing opportunities related to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Mohammed is a 2016 graduate of President Obama’s Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, where he studied Civic Leadership at Duquesne University. During his time as a medical student, Mohammed co-led the Medical Students’ International Network Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan), the largest student organisation in Sudan. Concurrently, he was the Regional Assistant for Africa on Human Rights and Peace at the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association (IFMSA). As a trainer, he focuses on building the capacity of medical students and has trained in Sudan, Kenya, India, Tanzania, Chile and Ethiopia in soft skills such as leadership, advocacy, and lobbying.