The distinguished 2012 Community Solutions [13] Leaders come from 28 countries worldwide to build their capacity to lead community interventions and to share their expertise with community organizations in the U.S. Leaders build on their local experiences and forge cross-cultural bonds, becoming even more effective agents of positive change in their home countries.
Community Solutions Leaders focus on one of the following four areas: Tolerance/Conflict Resolution [14], Environmental Issues [15], Transparency and Accountability [16], and Women's Issues [17].
Transparency and Accountability
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Zeowheh Saywrayne, Liberia The Bus Project [18] As Project Coordinator for the Poverty and Corruption in Africa Project at the Center for Transparency and Accountability, Zeowheh Saywrayne works with target communities by building capacity in advocacy and monitoring and evaluation, and working closely with service providers to ensure that services and projects impact communities. Saywrayne intends to organize a program that gives voice to women and allows them to identify their own challenges and solutions. |
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Rex Mlotha, Malawi Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets [19] Rex Mlotha is the Executive Director for Forum for Youth Ladders, a youth-focused non-governmental organization targeting marginalized and at-risk youth and engaging them in employment programs, HIV education, drug and alcohol abuse campaigns, conflict management trainings and youth civic education projects. He has worked extensively to raise awareness of child rights in Malawi, and increase the employability of out-of-school youth through vocational training and employment services. Mlotha plans to focus his work on increasing the civic participation of traditionally marginalized youth. |
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Prossy Kawala, Uganda Media Literacy Project [20] Prossy Kawala currently works as the Project Assistant of Media Development at the Uganda Media Development Foundation, a non-governmental organization that aims to enhance the capacity of media practitioners; she works with over 50 radio stations in developing peace and conflict sensitive reporting and programming to uplift the profile of Ugandan media in the democratization process. Kawala plans to focus her work on building a democracy and peace group comprised of media, civil society, and political actors at the local level. |
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Armytage Mumbwali, Zambia Alaska Center for Public Policy [21] As Democracy and Civic Education Officer for the Youth Development Organization, Armytage Mumbwali mobilizes communities and educates them on civic issues such as good governance and human rights-based development. He is creating and mainstreaming initiatives that encourage collaboration among civic leaders, social service providers, and community members, and plans to identify and analyze factors preventing effective community participation in governance. |
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Susan Mwape, Zambia Common Cause Georgia [22] Susan Mwape is the National Coordinator of the African Peer Review Mechanism, an initiative that seeks to foster the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, economic growth and sustainable development. She is also an active member of the Zambia Media Women’s Association, a network of female journalists that aims to promote the interests of women and girls through the media. She plans to build small local democracy groups to increase community participation in local governance. |
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Thomas Sithole, Zimbabwe Common Cause Illinois [23] Thomas Sithole is the Executive Director of Plumtree Development Trust, a community-based organization whose mission is to facilitate sustainable people-centered development through community engagement. Sithole plans to focus his efforts on increasing local government transparency and accountability in his community particularly as it relates to public spending. |
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Julian Sanjivan, Malaysia AIDS Community Research Initiative of America [24] Julian Sanjivan is the Human Resource Manager for the PT Foundation, working directly with the communities most at risk in contracting HIV/AIDS in Malaysia. He works to provide information, education and care services relating to HIV/AIDS and sexuality to at-risk populations. Sanjivan plans to restructure the management and governance of the PT Foundation, implement a performance framework, develop standard operating procedures, and implement capacity building programs for employees and volunteers alike. |
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Baigalmaa Bayandorj, Mongolia Maryland Nonprofits [25] Baigalmaa Bayandorj works as a consultant with Mercy Corps on a Social Safety Nets Project, where she manages trainings on psychosocial support for marginalized households. She focuses on promoting social and economic inclusion of marginalized groups by increasing community support networks. Bayandorj intends to work on Social Safety Nets Project-2, which will promote better collaboration among NGOs through experience sharing sessions, conducting training sessions, and developing best practices for community distribution. |
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Paul Gangoso, Philippines Common Cause Georgia [22] Paul Gangoso is the President and CEO of Ecolink, a non-profit organization focusing on public finance management, social accountability and anticorruption initiatives. His experience spans fields such as governance, social accountability, environmental conservation and sustainability, and peace and human rights. Gangoso plans to scale his organization’s SK Watch project (an anti-corruption initiative) to a national level. |
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Christopher Reyes, Philippines Points of Light Foundation [26] As the Human Resource Management and Organization Specialist at Xavier University, Christopher Reyes serves as a passionate advocate for volunteerism in the Philippines. He previously served as a UN Volunteer Specialist, researching the economic impact of the Filipino non-profit and volunteer sector and drafted the country report on volunteerism, integrating a proposed framework for future statistical efforts. Reyes intends to continue his research on the volunteer sector in order to inform broader policy approaches to development. |
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Alda Isallari, Albania Greenlining Institute [27] Alda Isallari is an Assistant Coordinator with the NGO, Une Gruaja, where she works on anti-domestic violence projects and organizes leadership and democracy meetings and trainings for women in the region. Isallari plans to focus her work on organizing a youth development program which aims to provide young women with the necessary skills and experience to become leaders in their communities. |
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Brunilda Qevani, Albania OneAmerica [28] Brunilda Qevani is a civil society and migration specialist working for Devoll Hydropower SH.A. She is an expert in identifying and addressing migration issues in Albanian communities, coordinating activities and public events, administering outreach and informational campaigns, and mobilizing communities. Qevani plans to refocus her work on developing strategies to ease immigrants' and returned citizens’ access to social services and support. |
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Dritan Taulla, Albania Vermont Workers' Center [29] Dritan Taulla is the co-founder of three non-profits, and currently works as Deputy Chairperson for the KRIIK Albania Association. With nearly 15 years of experience in the civil society sector, his professional experience includes initiatives that raise civic awareness and encourage participation in decision-making processes, promote human rights, and monitor elections. He plans to encourage civic participation in the 2013 Parliamentary Elections, and to conduct research on citizens’ knowledge of the voting process and gauge their trust in Albanian institutions to conduct free and fair elections. |
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Ralitsa Popova, Bulgaria League of Women Voters of California [30] Ralitsa Popova is the Executive Director of the Knowledge Association, a Bulgarian NGO that implements projects in the fields of citizen participation, youth, social inclusion and adult education. Popova has also served as a trainer for the Youth In Action program, as well as a moderator for the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation’s public forum. Popova plans to focus her efforts on increasing the participation of rural community members in the local political process. |
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Teodora Popovska, Macedonia Citizens Union [31] Teodora Popovska is the Project Coordinator for the Citizen’s Association MOST, which works on strengthening Macedonia’s democratic culture. She has worked on lobbying and advocating for community needs, as well as performing research and analysis. Popovska also has demonstrated experience in the field of elections, at both the domestic and international level. Popovska plans to continue her work helping to foster a more aware and active citizenry, focusing specifically on engaging youth in the community. |
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Pajtim Saiti, Macedonia America Speaks [32] Pajtim Saiti is the Executive Director at the Permaculture and Peacebuilding Center in Macedonia, focusing on democratization and decentralization. Saiti works on increasing citizen participation by working with a wide variety of actors such as international, national and bilateral organizations. Saiti plans to design and implement an initiative for the physical establishment of pilot municipal centers for strengthening the role of local, neighborhood governance. |
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Adina Marina Calafateanu, Romania Resilience Advocacy Project [33] Adina Marina Calafateanu serves as the leading figure for the Center for Sustainable Community Development (CSCD), an NGO that aims to contribute to sustainable development through educational workshops and programs that promote active citizenship among youth groups, specifically underserved youth in Romania. Calafateanu also sits on the 30-member board of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe. Calafateanu will focus her work on developing a project for rural youth participation in Giubega Village. |
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Matej Kurian, Slovakia Sunlight Foundation [34] Matej Kurian is Program Coordinator with Transparency International Slovakia, an anti-corruption think tank where he manages the development of thematic online portals including the Open Public Procurement and Open Contracts platforms, as well as writes policy briefs. Kurian has experience in data analysis, project management and public policy processes. He intends to focus on the transparency and accountability of the Slovak non-profit sector. |
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Suiunbek Aidarov, Kyrgyzstan United Way Worldwide [35] Suiunbek Aidarov is a Project Coordinator with the United Nations Development Program, where he works on projects related to youth livelihoods and child poverty reduction. Aidarov plans to work with the public sector at all levels by building capacity of personnel for engaging civil society in the decision making process and providing them with accurate information through various media tools. |
Publication Date:
August 6, 2012