49 Fellows will design collaborative projects on peace and reconciliation in Asia
We are delighted to announce the fourth cohort of the Asia Peace Innovators Forum, an inspiring group dedicated to advancing long-term peace, stability, and regional cooperation in Asia.
Supported by the Nippon Foundation, the Asia Peace Innovators Forum is designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and inspire new approaches to addressing conflicts and fostering reconciliation. Fellows collaborate across geographic, cultural, and professional boundaries, building a network from different sectors and countries to exchange knowledge, community-driven approaches, and best practices.
Fellows of the fourth cohort represent diverse sectors such as law, development, policymaking, business, governance, and media. Much like the program’s previous cohorts, these Fellows will collaborate on practical outcomes to drive change in the institutions, sectors, and communities in which they work.
This year’s program is already underway, as Fellows have been meeting online since December 2024. The five online sessions allow Fellows to establish connections, identify shared priorities, and begin shaping their projects.
An in-person convening is scheduled to take place from May 6 to 11, 2025, at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria. The convening will provide a unique opportunity for Fellows to immerse themselves in collaborative work, hone their leadership skills, and design projects in small groups.
These new Fellows participating in the Asia Peace Innovators Forum represent 17 countries from different geographic categories: four priority Asian countries (Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand), other south and southeast Asian countries, and relevant countries from the rest of the world. Countries represented this year include Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Morocco, and Nigeria.
The new Fellows joining the Forum are:
- Deisyi Anna Batunan, Assistant Professor, Universitas Negeri Manado, Indonesia
- Aurece Aubrey Bahala, Senior Program Manager, Institute for Autonomy and Governance, Philippines
- Dominik Balthasar, Academic Program Director (Development Management), Asian Institute of Management, Philippines / Germany
- Aliah Baniaga Adam, Director, Strategic Communications and Capacity Building (SCCB) Project, Philippines
- Muhhamad Bux, General Secretary, Sukaar Welfare Organization, Pakistan
- Harithra Chandrasehar, Sri Lanka
- Minkyung Choi, Assistant Professor, Montclair State University, United States / Korea
- Darshatha Damith Gamage, Co-Founder/Director, Impact Voices, Sri Lanka
- Ronald Del Castillo, Programme Policy Officer for Social and Behaviour, UN World Food Programme, Philippines
- Zoreen Echavez Agustin, Program Manager, Save The Children Philippines, Philippines
- Bernadette Llano Fernandez, Senior Peace Mission Leader and Board of Trustee, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement Inc, Philippines
- Ilham Hayeeyama, Consultant, Kenan Foundation Asia, Thailand
- Arkar Hein, Program Specialist, U.S. Institute of Peace, Thailand / Myanmar
- Seun Isaac Lawal, Principal Assistant Registrar, Akwa Ibom State University, Nigeria
- Asantha Kalyananda, CEO, Third Shift Media - Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
- Pratik Karmacharya, Director of Advocacy, Freedom Studio Nepal, Nepal
- Sameer Khan, Founder, Collective Pakistan, Pakistan
- Anwar Koma, Assistant Professor & Head of Turkish Studies Center, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
- Anithra Lakshmi Varia, South Asia Researcher and Representative, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, Sri Lanka
- Sokkoeun Man, Executive Director, Youth For Peace, Cambodia
- Win Min, Country Director, Forum of Federations, Thailand / Myanmar
- Zaim Mohzani, Senior Director of External Relations, KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific (KSI), Malaysia
- Win Naing, Program Manager (Media & Communications), Search For Common Ground, Myanmar
- Ratawit Ouaprachanon, Project Manager, Peace Resource Collaborative Foundation, Thailand
- Krittanan Pensirisomboon, University Lecturer, Navamindradhiraj University, Thailand
- Panfun Pramojanee, Project Coordinator, Save the Children, Thailand
- Elaine Pratley, Founder, Peace Kitchen, Malaysia / Australia
- Phone Pyae Soe, Ph.D. Candidate/Researcher, School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University, Thailand / Myanmar
- Angelica Querubin, Founder and Co-Executive Director, Weaving Ecosystems, Philippines
- Denise Rafaeli Cadorniga, Communications Officer, Nonviolent Peaceforce, Philippines
- Chintan Raj, Lead - Bodoland Territorial Council Development Program, Transform Rural India Foundation, India
- Nishandeny Ratnam, Legal Professional, Search for Common Ground, Sri Lanka
- Krystle Reid Wijesuriya, Co-Founder, GenUth Initiative, Sri Lanka
- Fahurdeen Sajeed Ahamed, Advisor/Attorney at Law, Diriya Women's Development Foundation, Sri Lanka
- Fareeda Shaikh, Teaching/Community Counsellor, NGO, Pakistan
- Angeli Monique Siladan, Project Development and Programme Support Officer, International Organization for Migration, Malaysia / Philippines
- Ankita Singh Rathour, Program Manager, Nepal Peacebuilding Initiative (NPI), Nepal
- Wanweena Tangsathianraphap, Regional Communication Officer, Diakonia, Thailand
- Ryoya Tasai, Programme Policy Officer, United Nations World Food Programme, Japan
- Geeta Vaishnavi, Founder & CEO, JK Arts Foundation, India
- Shataakshi Verma, Program and Development Manager, Reporters Without Borders, India
- Ni Wayan Surya Mahayanti, Lecturer, Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Indonesia
- Andrea Y. Park, Regional AI Skilling Advisor, Microsoft, Singapore / Korea / United States
- Krmanj Younis Othman, Senior Legal Adviser, Ministry of Justice - KRI, Iraq
- Salma Yusuf, Attorney-at-Law and Peace Strategist and Human Rights Advocate, Independent Consultant, Sri Lanka
- Cho Zin Thet, Deputy Director (Capacity Building), Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar, Thailand / Myanmar
Fellows listed above will have the opportunity to meet and work together with the rest of the fourth cohort and previous cohorts to expand and accelerate their projects, allowing for cumulative impact from the work of all the groups. They are joining a network of nearly 200 Fellows in the Asia Peace Innovators Forum, many of whom have continued their work beyond Salzburg and greatly developed their projects.
Learn more about the peacebuilding projects that have resulted from the Asia Peace Innovators Forum.
For more information and future updates about the Asia Peace Innovators Forum, please sign up for our Leadership Exchange Asia Program newsletter.
Salzburg Global is committed to protecting the privacy of our Fellows. For this reason, the cohort list above omits the names of some participating Fellows.
