Soth Plai Ngarm is a Cambodian peace activist and researcher who holds a Masters degree in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, UK. Having worked throughout South East Asia on post-conflict issues, nationalism, and ethnic identity, Ngarm has accrued vast experience in the field as a peacebuilder, facilitator, and researcher.
Ngarm is the co-author of Introduction to Peace Studies & Research Methods (ACT, 1996), a member of the Applied Conflict Transformation Studies (ACTS) MA programme, and is the Cambodian National Coordinator of the South East Asian Conflict Studies Network (SEACSN). He is also a founding member and former director of the Cambodian based NGO Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT).
Ramji P. Neupane is working as National Programme Manager with the UNDP supported Micro-Enterprise Development Programme, which supports rural poor below poverty line in entrepreneurship development and employment generation. He worked with International Alert Nepal as Director of Programme during January 2013 to February 2014. Prior to Alert, he worked with Canadian CIDA in Nepal as Program Coordinator and Program Advisor in development and implementation of Canadian development aid programs in Nepal for well over a decade (2001-2012).
He served with United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) as a UN Volunteer to help implement the Cambodian peace process during 1992/1993. He served as the Chairperson of Kathmandu Forestry College for 2 full terms (6 Years) and is associated with Nepal Agroforestry Foundation, a leading NGO in promoting agroforestry and community forestry activities in the country, since 1990. Ramji holds a Ph.D. (in Regional and Rural Development Planning) & M. Sc. (Agriculture Systems) Degrees from the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok.
He has more than 20 years of experiences in natural resources management, rural enterprises development, agro-forestry, watershed management, conflict transformation and peace building. He has supervised Masters Students in agroforestry, agriculture, natural resources management and peacebuilding research activities in the past. He has obtained formal training on conflict transformation and peace building from the Responding to Conflict, UK and School of International Training, USA. He is involved in networks and organizations both inside the country and in Asian region for peacebuilding.
Jularat Damrongviteetham has over ten years of experience in conflict resolution and diplomacy, focusing on Southern Thailand. She is a consultant for Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s Southern Thailand program, where she strengthens relationships with civil society organizations, supports the peace process, and provides ongoing analysis of the conflict. She serves on the board of the Peace Resource Collaborative Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand. Jularat is an Advisor to the Ad-hoc Parliamentary Committee on Resolving Security Conflicts in the Three Southern Border Provinces. She is a Steering Committee Member of the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators.
For nine years, Jularat worked as a consultant for the Berghof Foundation and as an executive assistant for the Peace Resource Collaborative Foundation in Bangkok. In these roles, she supported peace processes, facilitated dialogue, negotiation, and mediation efforts with civil society groups in Southern Thailand and the region. She partnered with key stakeholders, including government agencies and academics, to promote multi-track engagement for sustaining peace. Jularat holds an MA in Sociology and Anthropology from Chiang Mai University and a Masters in Advanced Studies in Mediation in Peace Processes from ETH in Zurich.
Karlos is a distinguished journalist and peace practitioner, known for his contributions to his profession. He is currently the Executive Director of Balay Mindanaw, a non-governmental organization dedicated to peacebuilding, community development and resiliency in Mindanao, Philippines.
Balay Mindanaw supports the Bangsamoro peace process, especially in the implementation of the peace agreement. Between 2004-2007, the organization served as Independent Secretariat in the negotiations between the Government of the Philippines and the Revolutionary Worker’s Party of Mindanao. Balay Mindanaw also pursues community-based initiatives for the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Manlupig was invited as a civil society adviser by both negotiating panels.
As a journalist, he is a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He also contributed to Agence France Presse, Associated Press and Rappler.
Karlos Manlupig holds a degree in Psychology from Ateneo de Davao University and a master’s degree in Applied Conflict Transformation Studies from the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and Pannasastra University of Cambodia.