Meet the Students
Pamela Akun
Pamela Akun was born in Northern Uganda and graduated from Makerere University in 2006 with an honors degree in Community Psychology. She was one of the three initiators of the Change Trends Association where she provided career guidance, counseling and leadership trainings to youth and communities in Northern Uganda. Today, she is working with the International Organization for Migration in Uganda providing her community with psychosocial support and re-integration services. She also has a keen interest in community peace activism and leadership.
Atem Aleu
Atem Aleu is a Southern Sudanese activist and artist who graduated from Brigham Young University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Since his arrival in the states, Atem has engaged in various initiatives, trying to communicate his conflict experiences through his mixed-media art to his U.S. audience. He has become a voice for the Southern Sudanese diaspora, returning to Sudan every year to volunteer and teach his “dialogue through art” methodology to displaced Sudanese young adults. Atem is also enrolled in the Cultural Production program at Brandeis University.
Monica Curca
Monica Curca is the owner and manager of the sales/marketing company Back2Back Marketing established in 2001. It represents chiropractic offices in the greater Southern California area. She is also involved in the Arabic Christian Perspective in California working as a non-profit consultant. Previously, Monica received her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Middle-Eastern studies. She has also worked in the field in various consulting and research positions in countries such as Romania, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and Cuba, before coming to Brandeis. Monica is a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Fayaz Dar
Fayaz Dar was born and raised in Kashmir and graduated from the University of Delhi with a degree in Commerce in 2001. As a person who has experienced conflict first hand, his interests lie in providing counseling, aid and services to communities around the world. Since graduating from university, he has worked with the United States-India Foundation and served as an Administrative Officer. Fayaz completed his MBA in Business Management in 2006 and is interested in peace-building with the hope to help many others around the globe.
Abdallah Ddumba
Abdallah Ddumba has a degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the Islamic University in Uganda where he focused on Islamic Jurisprudence and the science of the Quran and related research methods. He is also a certified Arabic teacher. Upon moving to the United States in the late 90's, Abdallah co-founded the Uganda America Islamic Foundation and in 2005 the Waltham Islamic Society. He is also an ordained Imam and focuses on the ways in which the Islamic faith can provide a bridge to coexistence work.
Denil Ertug
Denil Ertug graduated from Trinity College in 2009 with a double degree in International Studies and French. In 2006, she worked at Saltzman & Evinch as a legal assistant researching international law involving Turkey. In 2008, she secured a research internship with the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies researching the field of international terrorism in relation to Turkey and Cyprus. She has most recently worked as a journalist in her native Northern Cyprus, producing television shows about lifestyle and culture in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Luzmila Freese
Luzmilla Freese received her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies in 2008 from Seattle University. During her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in France and China examining development and history. She was also a case manager in the Western District of Washington as well as a language specialist at the Loyola Learning center. Luzmila is a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Stacyann Gabbidon
Stacyann Gabbidon is deeply involved in tackling the environmental issues that are abound on the island of her native Jamaica. Since her graduation from the University of the West Indies, Stacyann has been focusing on development and the environment, working with Montego Bay Marine Park to increase awareness around the challenges surrounding the Montego Bay eco-system. She has also worked as a journalist and public relations officer, and is currently working with a Jamaican relief agency to create awareness and support programs for unattached Jamaican youth. Stacyann is a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Mark Abass Gbla
Mark Gbla graduated from Fourah Bay College of the University of Sierra Leone in 1999 with a degree in Political Science and Modern History. He is also trained in Small Arms and Light Weapons prevention. Following his undergraduate degree, he started work as a social worker for CARITAS Makeni and in 2002 joined the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone as an Electoral Field Assistant. He later joined the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and has extensive experience with human rights and peace-building monitoring.
Tonopah Greenlee
Tonopah Greenlee was educated at a classical university where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and the History of Mathematics. After her undergraduate education, Tonopah went on to found a community based organization named after herself, which helps sell necklaces made by the women of Mauwongo, Uganda. Her community experience is also compounded by a wealth of travel and work experiences in Uganda, visiting various communities and helping with sustainable development initiatives. Tonopah is a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Christopher Jensen
Christopher Jensen graduated from San Diego State University in 2004 with a degree in communication. After his undergraduate career, Christopher entered the Department of Navy as a Human Resources Assistant. After serving for a year, he became a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Peru, South America as a small business development advisor. He re-entered the Navy in 2008 as an administrative specialist. Chris is a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Jerome Kanyog
Jerome Kanyog worked for the Commission on Human Rights Administrative Justice in his native Ghana as the Regional Administrator in the Upper West region, after completing his undergraduate degree at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. After going into the Ghanian Police Service in 2000, Jerome became aware of the inadequacies in the training for the police and took a teaching appointment in 2004 to help young police officers train at the Police Training School. He has since participated in trainings conducted by the School of International Training as well as trainings by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Program. Jerome is a Ford scholar.
Seth Karamage
Seth Karamange was born and raised in Rwanda and speaks French, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili fluently. He graduated from the National University of Rwanda Butare in 2007 with a degree in Economics and Development Studies. Since 1997, he has served in the Rwandese Defense Forces under various capacities and most recently as a team member of the Republic Guard Unit. Besides his military experience, Seth has also been a member of the Partner for Allies for Humanity at the Institute of Global Leadership at Tufts University and the Chief Coordinator for the Great Lakes Agriculture Promotion and Environmental Sustainability project.
Chantal Kiami
Chantal Kiami was born and raised in Lebanon and speaks Arabic, Spanish and French besides her English fluency. She graduated from Emmanuel College in 2006 with a major in Global Studies and Spanish literature with a focus on the Middle East. She interned with the University of the Middle East Project and worked on several educational projects in the Middle East and North Africa. She is currently a project assistant at the Education Development Center where she focuses on global projects in partnership with UN entities such as UNESCO and UNICEF.
Ai Ling Lee
Ai Ling Lee attended Upper Iowa University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. During her undergraduate career, Ai Ling was involved in organizing awareness around mental health issues and later went on to work for the International Organization for Migration as a Medical Assistant. During her experiences, she became interested in the area of immigration and how to better incorporate migrants into the social structure of her native Malaysia. Ai Ling is a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Seraphine Mukankubito
Seraphine Mukankubito is a trained legal advisor and human rights advocate, focusing on sexual violence against women during conflict in her native Rwanda. After graduating from the Universite Libre de Kigali, she received various domestic violence trainings as well as training in risk assessment and safety planning regarding sexual assault. She was also involved in the Gacaca proceedings in Kigali in the Program on Genocide Trials Monitoring. She is currently working as a Case Manager at the Transition House for women victims of domestic violence in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Seraphine is a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Jason Pollens
Jason Pollens received his degree in Government and International Relations from Clark University in 2006 with a concentration in peace studies. He has worked with Jobs with Justice in New York as a Fellow in Faith in Action. Most recently, he interned for The Abraham Fund Initiatives in Jerusalem and is also a Vision Program Fellow for Abraham’s Vision. He is involved in the field of conflict resolution in Jewish-Palestinian relations both in the Middle East and the United States. Jason has also worked and conducted research in South Africa and Namibia. Jason is dual degree candidate at Brandeis.
Orlee Rabin
Orlee Rabin is a dual degree candidate who has just completed her first year at the Heller School for Social Policy & Management at Brandeis. She graduated from Kenyon College in 2006 with a degree in Psychology. During her undergraduate career, Orlee also attended courses in Tel Aviv, Israel focusing on the Middle East and Conflict Resolution. Trained as a dialogue and conflict resolution facilitator, Orlee went on to become a Project Coordinator for Youth Dialogue at the RockRose Institute in San Francisco, California. She has also worked with Search for Common Ground and the Abraham Fund Initiatives in Israel.
Adam Rosenberg
Adam Rosenberg is a dual degree candidate who has just completed his first year at the Heller School for Social Policy & Management at Brandeis University. Adam previously worked with the US Peace Corps serving as the HIV/AIDS advisor in the Kingdom of Lesotho, where he advised the government and the Ministry of Education on HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives and conducted a multitude of outreach projects about HIV/AIDS. He has also worked in Israel during the post-Intifada period. In his research, he focuses on the Middle East as well as the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Elisa Trotta-Gamus
Elisa Trotta-Gamus graduated from Universidad Central de Venezuela in 2008 with a Master's Degree in International Law and Politics and is a lawyer by professional training. She has worked in various law firms in her native Venezuela, focusing on civil litigation and human rights. Most recently, she was a project assistant at USAID working on a human rights publication on association rights. Elisa is a Fulbright Foundation Fellow and a dual degree candidate at Brandeis.