Our Global Leadership

Shamil Idriss is the Chief Executive Officer of Search for Common Ground, the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization. In his current capacity as CEO, and in his previous capacities as President, Chief Operating Officer, and Burundi Country Director, Shamil has led Search’s efforts to end violent conflict in more than 35 countries globally, including some of the most devastating conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa.

Shamil was appointed in 2005 by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan as Deputy Director of the UN Alliance of Civilizations. In this role, he supported high-level political and religious leaders in developing policy recommendations and action plans to improve cross-cultural relations between Western and Muslim-majority countries, before, during, and after the Arab Spring revolutions. During his tenure at the UN, he worked closely with policymakers from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in conceiving and implementing conflict prevention projects and increasing cross-cultural understanding.

From 2004-2005, Shamil worked with the World Economic Forum to establish the Forum’s Council of 100 Leaders, conceiving and leading the Council’s “Action Track” to identify and attract support for innovative high-impact programs.

Shamil is also a pioneer in the use of interactive media technologies for cross-cultural education and collaboration. In 2008-2014, as the CEO of Soliya, he led a coalition to create a market for virtual exchange through partnerships with public and private sector leaders across the United States, the Arab League, and the European Union. This led to the establishment of the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative announced by President Barack Obama in February 2015, and the subsequent announcement by the European Commission of their dedicated fund to expand virtual exchange in 2017.

A graduate of Swarthmore College with degrees in Economics and Philosophy, Shamil has authored several op-eds, papers, and articles on conflict transformation and peacebuilding for print and online publications around the world. He has also delivered numerous presentations, media appearances, lectures, and keynote addresses on international conflict resolution, media and social change, Islam and West-Muslim World relations, and social entrepreneurship. Most recently, he delivered a TEDx presentation on “Truths About Violent Conflict” and a lecture on “Conflict is Inevitable, Violence is Not” at Pacific Lutheran University as part of the Ambassador Chris Stevens Memorial Lecture Series. He also delivered a feature speech on “The Search for Belonging through Violent Extremist Networks” at the 2016 Global Philanthropy Conference.

Charline Burton is the Executive Director of Search for Common Ground’s European branch, a Belgian-registered not-for-profit organisation that is in charge of all European engagement, partnerships, policy work, and of all Europe-funded programmes.

Charline heads a team of 30+ Brussels-based colleagues, and oversees 50+ peacebuilding programmes in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. She represents Search in various high-level fora and conferences in Brussels and elsewhere in Europe.

A Belgian national, Charline spent 10 years living in Africa before returning to her home country in 2017. She joined Search in Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she led Search’s conflict-sensitive humanitarian programmes and developed the “conflict scan” methodology – which Search has been using since then. Moving to West Africa in 2013, she led the evaluation team and the evaluation processes before moving on to various managerial positions in the region, from Guinea to the Central African Republic.

Charline came to peacebuilding from a career in the public sector and media, first as a French Language journalist in Africa and Europe, and later with the United Nations and Belgian’s development agency Enabel. She holds a Master’s degree in Information and Communications (ULB) and one in Political Sciences (UCLouvain). Charline speaks French, English and Dutch.

Rebecca Besant has served as Search for Common Ground’s Regional Director for East Africa since 2012. In this role, she oversees Search’s programming in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

She first joined Search in 2001 as West Africa Program Associate. She has moved through a number of roles at Search including West Africa Program Manager and Africa Program Manager, as well as Director, Great Lakes. Prior to Search, Rebecca worked as Development Coordinator at the environmental nonprofit Trout Unlimited as well as a lightweight women’s rowing coach at Georgetown University.

Rebecca has been involved in the expansion of Search’s Africa portfolio, participating in the assessments and strategic development that have led to its programs in Nigeria, Madagascar, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. She has also overseen several regional projects, including phases two and three of Radio for Peacebuilding Africa and the Africa-wide Strategic Capacity-building in Peacebuilding program supported by the Swedish Government.

Originally from a small town near Buffalo, New York, Rebecca holds a BSFS from Georgetown University. She speaks English, French, and Thai.

Nealin Parker leads Common Ground USA as its inaugural Executive Director. Parker brings to the role decades of experience in senior domestic and international positions dealing with conflict, poverty, and healthcare. Before joining CG USA, Parker served in a number of senior leadership positions. These include: Founder and Director of the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University, Chief of Staff for the federal US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Deputy/Acting Director of the Office of Transitional Initiatives at USAID, and Chief of Staff for the Center on International Cooperation at New York University. Parker also held policy, program, and research roles with Interpeace, The European Commission Elections Programs in Liberia, the Carter Center, IFES, and the Peace and Integration Boards of Aceh. She holds a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia.

Jacqueline Oburu joined Search for Common Ground in April 2019 as the Associate VP, HR and Administration. In this capacity, she leads Search’s human resource management functions globally providing leadership oversight of global talent acquisition and management, compensation and benefits, performance management, employee recognition and engagement.

Prior to Search, Jacqueline served in several HR leadership roles in the international development sector, working with World Vision, CRS, WorldFish, and ChildFund International and was the Chief Talent Officer with Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, an affordable housing non-profit organization based in San Francisco. She brings over 22+ years of Human Resource expertise working and living in Africa and Asia for 12 years, providing HR leadership in over 40 countries.

Jacqueline is a native New Yorker (Brooklyn to be exact) and an “adopted daughter of Kenya.” She holds an M.A. in Inter-Cultural Studies and Leadership Development from Fuller Seminary.

Wasim Khan has served Search for Common Ground’s Vice president of Finance since February 2018. In this role, he manages Search’s finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, financial reporting and responsible for analysis of data.

He first joined Search in 2015 as Finance Controller. Prior to Search, he worked for international non-profits in 10 different countries including Macedonia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Republic of Georgia, and Pakistan. He served in financial leadership positions for several international organizations including African Development Solution, AIDS Vaccine Initiative, International Rescue Committee, International Medical Corps, and Plan International.

Originally from Peshawar, Pakistan, Wasim holds a B.S. from Peshawar University of Pakistan and an M.B.A. from St. Peter’s University. He also has Non-profit Management Certification from New York University. He speaks English, Pashto, and Urdu.

Lena Slachmuijlder is the Executive Director of Digital Peacebuilding at Search for Common Ground, activating and elevating the use of digital tools for conflict transformation across Search’s programs. She is also the Co-Chair of the Council on Tech and Social Cohesion, which fosters collaboration between technologists, academics, policy advocates and peacebuilders to catalyze the design and deployment of technology for social cohesion. She has 30 years of experience working for peaceful social change, starting as a journalist with anti-apartheid media in South Africa, and pioneering creative media tools for peacebuilding over the last two decades. She has trained journalists, artists and peacebuilders across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, has published numerous articles and book chapters, and produced an award-winning film about Burundi’s “Heroes” She led the codification of the Common Ground Approach core curriculum, authored ‘Transforming Violent Extremism: a Peacebuilder’s guide and championed Search’s first 10-year organizational strategy.  Lena is a graduate of Stanford University, an alumni of Amsterdam’s THNK School for Creative Leadership and Brandeis University’s fellowship on Arts and Reconciliation. In 2020, Lena gave a TEDx talk entitled ‘The Vaccine to End War’. She lives in Brussels with her husband and two step-children.

Marjorie began her career in international development when the advertising company she worked for was contracted by USAID to support a reproductive health project in her home country of Jamaica. She then joined the United Nations system, advancing in the organization in successive roles at UNICEF as Deputy Director of the Task Force for Change Management and as Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Program Division. With her communications and marketing skills she rose to serve as UNICEF’s Global Director of Communications for four years.

In her subsequent roles leading international NGOs, Newman-Williams directly managed major change initiatives — including FHI’s acquisition of the Academy for Education Development — and the building of communications and philanthropic fundraising operations. Most recently, as President of MSI United States, Newman-WIlliams led a major expansion of the organization’s philanthropic fundraising operation, more than quadrupling unrestricted revenue in just four years.

Mike Jobbins leads Global Affairs and Partnerships at Search for Common Ground. He joined Search in 2008 and has designed, developed and managed conflict resolution, violence prevention, and inclusive governance programs. Mike leads Search’s advocacy and partnerships with U.S. and European governments, the private sector and NGO partners.

Mike was Senior Program Manager for Search’s Africa Region, where he led the design and development of programs in 22 countries across the continent, including Search’s programs responding to state collapse in South Sudan, violent extremism in the Sahel, the civil conflict in the Central African Republic and the Cote d’Ivoire elections crisis. Before returning to Washington, he was a program manager with Search for Common Ground in the DRC and program officer in its Burundi regional office, where he oversaw the start-up and management of election, security sector, and complex emergencies programs.

Prior to joining Search, Mike supported training with high-level political leaders in the DRC and Burundi and Africa policy research at the Woodrow Wilson Center think tank. Originally from New Jersey, Mike holds an MA from Georgetown and a BA from Harvard. He is fluent in English and French.

Michael Shipler is the Vice President, Strategy and Program Quality for Search for Common Ground where he oversees strategy development and execution for the organization. Michael has twenty years of peacebuilding experience, having worked from community to political levels.

He previously served as Asia Regional Director for Search for Common Ground where he led programming in eleven countries and offices in Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste. During his time in this role, he established SFCG’s program in Myanmar and Central Asia and led the development and implementation of a dynamic and innovative set of initiatives such as engagement between communities and security forces in Nepal, work in prisons in Indonesia, and production of media and television for social change.

He has served as the Senior Program Advisor for SFCG providing technical support to programs in Yemen, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Angola and elsewhere. Prior, he served as Director of Programs for SFCG’s Nepal office where he co-founded and directed a multi-pronged media and community program in support of the country’s peace process. He is the founder of SFCG’s Children & Youth Division, establishing core methodology for youth and peacebuilding work. He co-founded the Washington Network on Children and Armed Conflict (WNCAC) and helped found The Child Soldiers Initiative – a global project aimed at eradicating the use of children as soldiers – done in partnership with Lt. General Roméo Dallaire and other institutions. While working for Youth for Peace, a youth-led organization in Cambodia, he developed a leadership program supporting youth to avoid violence and contributing to reconciliation in their own communities. Michael is holds his MA in War in the Modern World at Kings College in London. He is the author of The Dancing Country and Other Stories.