Our 2024 Cohort

The Youth Council programme has been running since January 2022, entering its third year in 2024. ICO's 2024 cohort of the Youth Council consists of 20+ young people who will be contributing to global peacebuilding via support of ICO's work. The full list of ICO's 2024 Youth Council Cohort is as follows: Cecilia Dalmasso; Omaan Borah; Heena Carahaa; Ian Wade; Khadijah Adamu Fika; Sihaam Koshin; Andy Daher; Sophie Granville; Stephen McCrystal; Chloe Marks; Nida Zehra; Krisha Deora; Naisha Deora; Sarah-Yasmine Klaa; Man-Ching (Alyssa) Hua; Kevin Boboto; Will Strevens; Sian Aitken; Ali Dawoodi; Myka Melville; Nika Gelashvili; and Dimitra Pateraki.

Member Profiles

Cecilia Dalmasso

Heena Carahaa

Ian Wade

I am currently studying an MSc in Environment, Politics and Development at SOAS. I hope that through my work with ICO Youth Council I can bring some relief and aid to communities affected by conflict and marginalised in the international community. I believe my knowledge of foreign languages and understanding of socioeconomic and political contexts affecting conflicts, as well as simply empathy, might bring some positive change through peacebuilding initiatives.

I am currently at Durham University studying MSc Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding. Working for Chatham House Common Futures Conversations, I have developed policies for just green energy transitions and youth advocacy.

I hope to contribute meaningful road-mapped policy advocacy for the betterment of conflict and peace. I look forward to refining my skillset at the Youth Council, gained from the expert webinar series

I have recently completed my MA in International Relations (Middle East) at Durham University.

I have previously researched and edited for The Partisan Report.

I hope to bring a fresh perspective on the situation on Palestine, especially with the ensuing war crimes taking place in Gaza and the Al Shifa hospital.

Khadijah Adamu Fika

I am currently studying Development Studies at SOAS University of London. I have interned with Strive to Excel Girls’ Development at Kaduna, Nigeria. By joining the Youth Council, I hope to be able to apply what I have learned in classes through practical means successfully. I want to be able to help in pushing forward positive change.

Krisha Deora

I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Development Economics at SOAS. Through diverse internships and volunteer experiences, including positions at The Social Talks and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra’s War Room, I have developed strong skills in policy research, written communication, and international relations. My proactive involvement in campus sustainability initiatives and leadership as the co-founder and president of the SOAS Indian Cultural Society highlight my ability to drive positive change. I aim to leverage these experiences and skills to contribute effectively in roles related to youth advocacy and development.

Sihaam Koshin

I study International Development at SOAS University. I was a part of the Influencing Corridors of Power society bridging the gap between researchers and Westminster to address the democratic deficit. I volunteered in a Non Profit Organisation, dealing with social economic and political dilemmas faced by the local community, advocating for their rights. I hope to bring a new perspective on issues occurring in society. I hope to bring my dedication, determination and overall passion to the team and be a proactive team player.

Naisha Deora

I am currently pursuing a BA International Relations and Global Development at SOAS. In the past, I have worked with various NGOs in the UK, US, and India and with different government sectors in my hometown, Mumbai. Currently, I am working as an Equity Research Fellow at my university to research ways in which higher education in the UK can be more inclusive towards people of different racial backgrounds. While working with the ICO Youth Council I hope to bring valuable experience from my experiences in the public sector and with NGOs, and look forward to learning alongside my talented peers!

Sophie Granville

I am a Masters Research student in the Geography Department at Durham University. My research calls into question current ways of identification for people with unstable citizenships/identities. I hope to use my passion for empowering communities to deepen my understanding of how tensions within community identities form and interact with political disputes. Looking to the future, my goal is to develop an advanced skill set in international cooperation and conflict transformation, something which is critical to the ICO’s work.

Nika Gelashvili

I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in International Law and Human Rights at the University of Tartu, Estonia. I have supported ICO in research on countries’ adherence to human rights obligations for the submission of UPR (Universal Periodic Review) reports. I am eager to extend my contribution and further engage with the organisation’s mission through this next level of involvement through diligent research and active communication.

Will Strevens

I am currently an undergraduate at Durham University and going onto a master’s at the King’s College London War Studies Department. I have worked previously in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina with Firefly International, an NGO that specialises in interethnic community peacebuilding. I hope to bring this regional experience and understanding of post-conflict communities in contributing to the ICO’s programmes, and to continue to develop my research skills across its different focuses.

Kevin Boboto

I am doing an LLB Law degree at SOAS. I am a part-time student analyst for Racial Equality Charter and a Digital Skills Volunteer for Breaking Barriers. I hope to bring enthusiasm, confidence, organizational skills, and creativity to the Youth Council.

Sian Aitken

I am a 3rd year student at the University of Cambridge studying Human Social and Political Sciences and will be studying for my MSc in International, social and public policy (NGO track) at LSE in September. This is my third year as a member of the Youth Council and I have gained lots of experience from writing policy proposals, reports and even conducting interviews with stakeholders for various projects. Alongside this I have worked for a Think-Tank at Cambridge where I produced a research paper on the impacts of social media on political polarisation on campus. I look forward to bringing my past few years of research experience to the new projects at the ICO.

Man-Ching (Alyssa) Hua

I am an MSc Environment, Politics, and Development student from SOAS. With experience in the third sector, public utility, and international development, I bring skills in research, project coordination, community development and engagement. Passionate about bridging theory and practice, I'm excited to apply my skills into action as a part of the Youth Council to advance peace-building, humanitarian aid, dialogue sharing efforts with desk-based research and empathy driven developmental initiatives in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Omaan Borah

I am a postgraduate student at SOAS University of London, currently studying an FDPS diploma programme. My prior experience has been working as an intern in the HR department of Conforzi Plantations Ltd, Malawi. Having lived in Southern Africa for most of my life, I am looking forward to contributing my own multinational perspective in application towards the Youth Council's various projects. I am eager to develop a skillset that builds toward practical solutions in peacebuilding and community action within the region and further beyond.

Nida Zehra

I’m an MSc Environment, Politics, and Development student from SOAS. With experience in international development and civil society organizing, I bring the skills of detailed research, creative problem solving, community engagement, and project coordination. Passionate about meaningful and locally informed policy advocacy and development, I look forward to implementing my skills in expanding my focused research interest in climate induced migration and contributing to the ICO’s expansive mission of peacebuilding.