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 lecturer in human rights and international law at Birzeit University’s Graduate Studies School and a research fellow at its Institute of Law. She co-founded the Human Rights and International Law Program at Al-Quds University, which she headed for three years, and taught for five. She has worked with civil society in the region for over seven years, including as researcher with HaMoked – Center for the Defence of the Individual; senior legal researcher with Al-Haq; and associate with the MATTIN Group. She works on the enforcement of international law and human rights against states and corporate actors with a focus on situations of armed conflict and military occupation. Valentina received her PhD from the Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway.

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.