Advocating for Protection

Lesley Connolly is the Regional Policy and Advocacy Manager at Nonviolent Peaceforce, where she leads the organization’s engagement with the African Union and regional bodies to advance unarmed civilian protection (UCP) and community-centered approaches to peace and security. Based in South Africa, Lesley works to bridge the gap between grassroots protection efforts and continental policy processes, with a focus on strengthening civilian components in AU peace operations. Prior to this role, she served as Team Leader of Global Policy at the Life & Peace Institute, where she was part of the conceptualization of and led the organization’s global policy engagement, including establishing its presence in New York to influence UN policy on peacebuilding and conflict prevention. She has also held positions at the International Peace Institute and the African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), with work spanning Liberia, Madagascar, Sudan, and Somalia.

Originally from South Africa, Lesley has spent the past decade living and working across the continent and in New York. She holds a Master’s in International Relations Law from New York University and a Master’s in Social and Transitional Justice from the University of Cape Town. 

Dr. Felicity Gray is the current Global Head of Policy & Advocacy for Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP). She has previously worked for NP as the Start-up Director in Ukraine, and as Team Leader in Bentiu, South Sudan, the largest displacement camp in the country. In addition to her experience as a practitioner, Felicity is an academic and expert in unarmed civilian protection. Her PhD research on the topic includes field research in Myanmar, Lebanon, South Sudan, Europe, and the United States. She holds a PhD in International Relations and a Master’s in Humanitarian Action from the Australian National University.
 

Imane Karimou is currently the UN Representative for Nonviolent Peaceforce. She is a researcher and advocacy officer specializing in international humanitarian law, international conflict resolution, and the protection of civilians in armed conflict, including efforts to better integrate local knowledge and perspectives into multilateral responses. Imane has worked at various international think tanks and NGOs, including International Crisis Group, UNU-CPR, the Clingendael Institute and Benin-based Stake Experts. She holds a master’s degree with a focus on International Security and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and another from the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po Paris, with a focus in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action.

Anna Penfrat is the Representative to the EU for Nonviolent Peaceforce, based in Brussels. She was previously the Representative to the EU for Peace Direct. Before that, Anna spent ten years at the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO). Earlier in her career, she worked with Search for Common Ground and ESSEC IRENÉ, focusing on programme support and EU fundraising. Anna holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding from Sciences Po Lille in France.

Megan Rodgers is the U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager at Nonviolent Peaceforce. In this role she leads NP’s policy and advocacy efforts towards the U.S. government including efforts to elevate Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) and improve U.S. government response in countries where NP has programming. She has previously worked on policy teams at the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide. Her interests include atrocity prevention, forced displacement, and grassroots peacebuilding. Megan is originally from Siloam Springs, Arkansas and holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, Political Science, and Spanish from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Arts in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.