Class XXIV (2025–2027)

Carly Aquino is a fellow from Philadelphia, USA, with over six years of experience related to peace and development. Since beginning her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa, she has sought to apply her cross-cultural collaboration and project management skills to ensure that the programs she supports are always informed by grassroots experience and expertise.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to Philadelphia and managed a cultural orientation program for newly arrived refugees resettled in the U.S. following the Afghanistan airlift in 2021. She later returned to Benin to focus on programs aimed at preventing violent extremism in West Africa. In every role, she has collaborated with diverse civil society organizations to strengthen sustainability and ensure impact beyond a project’s closure.

She holds a B.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Carly is sponsored by Rotary District 7450.

Dana is a fellow from Colombia with 20 years of experience in gender equality in humanitarian action, development, and peacebuilding.

Her expertise of 20 years as senior gender and GBV advisor includes governments, INGOs such as Diakonia, UN agencies like UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCHR, and UN Women, and the IASC Gender Standby Capacity Project (GenCap). Among other roles, Dana served as UNFPA gender advisor in Colombia leading GBV Subgroup. As UN Women regional gender specialist, she provided technical advice to the Regional Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V). Since 2020, she was deployed as Senior GenCap Advisor in humanitarian operations such as South Sudan, Ukraine, Honduras, Venezuela and Mozambique.

Dana holds a B.A. in Political Science, a postgraduate diploma in public policy and a master’s degree in law of the National University of Colombia.

Dana is sponsored by Rotary District 4281 and the Rotary Club of Bogota.

Dorcas Tiwaa Addai is a Human Rights Specialist with over six years’ experience advancing peacebuilding, good governance, and social justice across West Africa and internationally. At Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, she led national dialogues, donor-funded projects, and community sensitization programs promoting access to justice and protection of vulnerable groups.

Dorcas also supported collaboration among West African human rights institutions and contributed to election observation missions in Ghana, Liberia, Burkina Faso and the Gambia. Her international experience includes research with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva and advocacy work with UN Women’s Empower Women Initiative.

Dorcas holds a degree in English and Political Science from University of Ghana and an MA in Human Rights, Globalization and Justice from Keele University, UK. She is committed to advancing inclusive development, gender equality, and innovative approaches to peacebuilding.

Her sponsor district is 9104.

Hailing from Uganda, Frank Isabirye boasts a decade's worth of professional experience in peacebuilding. Frank's focus is on youth engagement, peacebuilding, youth getting a voice and seat at the table so they can play their part in peace processes.

Professionally, Frank is a journalist by training and also has valuable experience in academia. Consequently, he understands the significance of ensuring that today's youth embrace civic engagement as an alternative to fundamentalism and violent extremism.

Frank served as one of the Ugandan representatives for the European Union (EU) funded Great Lakes Youth Network for Peace and Development (GLYND) project. This project spanned five East African Countries - Uganda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi - and over 28 youth-led NGOs within the Conflict riddled great lakes region.

Under this project, Frank served as a trainer, mediator, ambassador for peacebuilding and conflict resolution and, advocate for better peace policies across East Africa.

Harriet Adong is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Integrated Rural Development (FIRD), a Ugandan nonprofit organization that advances gender equality, peacebuilding, and sustainable livelihoods in post-conflict communities.

With over a decade of experience in community development, advocacy, and strategic communication, she leads transformative programs that empower women, youth, and marginalized groups in Northern Uganda. Her expertise spans gender equality, transitional justice, climate justice, community research, and prevention of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence.

Harriet has represented community-based organizations on the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) Advisory Group, ensuring Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policies are inclusive for marginalized and conflict-affected populations. She also convenes the Global Grassroots Peacebuilders Coalition, driving systemic and policy change in peacebuilding. Through human rights and peace education, she strengthens reconciliation, healing, and community-led rebuilding.

She holds a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences from Makerere University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Gender Equality from the University of Iceland.

Harriet is sponsored by District 9213.

Julián David Solarte Hueso is a fellow from Bogotá, Colombia, with seven years of experience in peacebuilding, specializing in post-conflict scenarios. Since 2021, Julián has been working on the verification of the implementation process of the 2016 Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the former guerrilla group FARC.

In his role as a researcher at the Technical Secretariat of the International Verification Component of the Peace Agreement, Julián has focused his work on tracking and evaluating government initiatives aimed at eradicating illicit drugs and substituting illegal crops for legal alternatives. He has also worked on monitoring programs designed to benefit women and LGBTIQ+ communities within the framework of the Gender Chapter of the Agreement.

Previously, he volunteered with various social organizations, concentrating his efforts on youth leadership in rural areas affected by Colombia’s internal armed conflict.

Julián holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia, and is sponsored by Rotary District 4281.

Laura Coburn is a peace fellow from Melbourne, Australia, with experience in international development and humanitarian assistance, having managed and supported a diverse portfolio of projects in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and across the Asia and Pacific region. Before starting at Uppsala University, she worked with organisations like World Vision Australia, and most recently, MSI Reproductive Choices, where she supported the delivery of sexual and reproductive healthcare in countries including Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. She is also a passionate advocate for youth voices in policymaking and has worked with the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP) as the Asia and Pacific Regional Lead for the Global Compact on Migration.

Laura’s areas of interest span migration and displacement, the intersection of conflict and global health, peacebuilding, and social protection in humanitarian contexts.

She holds an undergraduate degree in International Studies from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University), a Graduate Certificate of International and Community Development from Deakin University, and a Master’s of Public Policy and Management from the University of Melbourne.

Laura is sponsored by Rotary District 9800.

Louise Kanza is a fellow with a decade of professional experience in the humanitarian and peacebuilding sector. She is from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where she has worked with communities of women navigating knowledge and access to reproductive health resources in conflict zones in the face of war and displacement, and survivors of gender-based violence in urban areas.

Previously, Louise worked on initiatives for youth engagement and peacebuilding through social cohesion initiatives in response to xenophobic attacks in South Africa. She has received global recognition and multiple international awards for her engagement.

She holds a B.A. in International Relations and a B.A. (Honours) in International Politics from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and is the first woman from the DRC to be selected as a Rotary Peace Fellow.

Louise is endorsed by Rotary District 1710.

Martin Mburu is from Murang’a County, Kenya, and has four years of experience in youth development, peacebuilding, and community resilience. He currently serves as the Head of Research and Policy at the Kenya Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security, where he focuses on strengthening youth leadership in peace and security processes and advancing inclusive approaches to conflict prevention and recovery.

Previously, Martin worked as a Peacebuilding and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Advisor with VSO at the Kenya-Ethiopia border, supporting cross-border peace, resilience, and cooperation. He also served with the Kenya Red Cross Society, contributing to humanitarian response and community-based resilience initiatives. Martin is also a Youth Empowerment and Engagement Programme (YEEP) alumni where he took part in advancing youth engagement in countering and preventing violent extremism in Kenya.

Martin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies from St. Paul’s University in Kenya.

He is sponsored by Rotary District 9212.

Pablo Gracia is a fellow with professional experience in the Colombian humanitarian sector. His work has primarily focused on the design and implementation of security risk management frameworks for international humanitarian NGOs responding to major crises, including the Venezuelan migratory emergency in 2019, humanitarian challenges arising from Colombia’s internal armed conflict, and the clearance of territories contaminated by landmines.

He has previously worked with Humanity & Inclusion, the Colombian Red Cross, and the Danish Refugee Council, where he held various positions such as Humanitarian Access and Security Supervisor, Project Coordinator, and National Security Officer. In addition, Pablo has served as a trainer for frontline humanitarian workers in Colombia, delivering courses on humanitarian access and field security protocols.

He holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Rosario University in Bogotá, Colombia, and is sponsored by Rotary District 4281.

Sergio Huesca Villeda is a Rotary Peace Fellow with five years of professional experience in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, violence prevention, negotiation, and development. Based in Mexico City, he holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and specializes in negotiation and the management of political and social conflicts.

His work reflects a broad interest in transitional and restorative justice processes, as well as in the impact assessment of development projects. Sergio has collaborated with public institutions, private actors, and civil society organizations in the pursuit of justice, peace, reconciliation, and positive social impact.

He places human rights, gender perspectives, and environmental sustainability at the core of research, analysis, and intervention. Guided by the belief that dialogue is a powerful tool for connection and transformation, Sergio is committed to fostering spaces where diverse voices can meet and engage constructively.

Sergio is sponsored by the Rotary District 4170.