Members

Policy Members are Al-Shabaka’s foundation of expertise, talent and commitment. They may contribute to Al-Shabaka’s work by writing policy briefs, position papers, commentaries, blog entries, and Op-Eds and disseminating Al-Shabaka’s policy advice and opinions.

Wajjeh Abu Zarifa

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Wajjeh Abu Zarifa is a journalist, researcher and professor of political science in Gaza, and a fellow at the University of Chicago. He holds a PhD from the Cairo-based Institute of Arab Research and Studies in political science, and a master's degree in Israeli studies from the University of Jerusalem. Abu Zarifa has participated in numerous international conferences and seminars, and published scientific papers and research as well as political articles and opinion pieces. He has worked in the press for 30 years with local and international media outlets including most recently NBC News. Abu Zarifa served in a number of community posts, including director of the PLO's national office for the defense of land and resistance of settlement, and a member of the Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate.

Caroline Abu-Sada

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Caroline Abu-Sada is Director of the Research Unit of Medecins Sans Frontieres Switzerland, and an Honorary Lecturer at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), University of Manchester. She has worked on food security, agriculture and health issues, and coordinated programs in the Middle East for Oxfam GB, the United Nations and MSF Switzerland. Dr Abu-Sada works include "ONG palestiniennes et construction étatique, l’expérience de Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) dans les Territoires occupés palestiniens, 1983- 2005", IFPO, Beirut, 2005; and “Dilemmas, Challenges, and Ethics of Humanitarian Action”, Mc Gill-Queen's University Press, 2012. She has taught political science at New York University, Paris and at Sciences Po, Lille.

Mohammed Al-Rozzi

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Mohammed Al-Rozzi is a doctoral student at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Before commencing his doctoral studies, Al-Rozzi completed his undergraduate studies at Bethlehem University, where he earned a bachelor in Occupational Therapy. In 2011, he completed his Master’s degree in Childhood Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Al-Rozzi has worked with many international non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, including Mercy Corps, Terre des Hommes, the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision and UNICEF. Through his work experience, Al-Rozzi has developed extensive multidisciplinary expertise in child protection and participation issues, education in post-conflict settings and psychosocial wellbeing at times of crisis. His research interests include child labour, juvenile justice and education policy.

Valentina Azarova

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Valentina Azarova is a post-doctoral researcher at the Center for Global Public Law, Koç University Law School, Istanbul, Turkey. She is also a legal adviser with the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN). Valentina received her PhD from the Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway. She was a co-founding member of the Al-Quds Bard College, Al-Quds University, where she taught and directed the human rights program for five years, and at Birzeit University’s Graduate Studies School. She has worked with HaMoked – Center for the Defence of the Individual; Al-Haq; and the MATTIN Group. Her research looks at the role of third states in the enforcement of international law and the contribution made by domestic regulatory processes to transnational law, with a focus on situations of armed conflict and occupation as well as other serious human rights violations. Her publications and reports can be accessed here.

Tamara Ben-Halim

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Tamara Ben-Halim is co-founder and co-director of Makan, an educational platform dedicated to reframing the Palestinian experience by using a language of rights, equality, and dignity. She holds an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and an MA in Modern European Languages from the University of Edinburgh. Tamara has worked in non-profit and civil society for over 6 years, focusing on creative solutions to problems of social injustice, community mobilisation, and communication and outreach. She co-founded and led the international effort, Cycling4Gaza, for many years. She has produced several short films, including her documentary film Ain El Hilweh, which was nominated for an award at the California Arab Film Festival in 2011.

Maisa Shquier

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Maisa Shquier is an activist and D.Phil candidate at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex/UK. Her ethnographic research investigates the intersection between gender, sexuality, nation, body politics and embodiment. Specifically, it examines the gendered and sexualized representations of Palestine, through a discourse analysis of the “New Historians” and the visual images of Palestine. She has 10 years of development experience with local and International NGOs in monitoring and evaluating projects in gender, disability, health, food security, water and sanitation and civil society. She has worked on policy formation on gender, disability, sexuality, masculinity, and women’s political participation in the Middle East.

Tamara Tamimi

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Tamara Tamimi is a Palestinian born in Jerusalem. Tamara holds a B.Sc in Biology with a minor in English Literature from Birzeit University, and an MA in Human Rights Law from SOAS, University of London, where she focused on women’s empowerment and the Palestine question. Tamara currently works as a project coordinator at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy - MIFTAH, where she handles projects and activities relevant to fiscal policy and social justice, and the dissemination of the Palestinian narrative. She has previously worked with a number of civil society organisations, including the Teacher Creativity Centre, Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development, Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling, Palestinian Vision Organisation, and Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.