Team
Dr. Muna Ismail
Founder and faculty member
Dr. Muna Ismail is an environmentalist, researcher, and development practitioner with over 15 years of experience across local and international development, academia, and civil society. Her work sits at the intersection of climate resilience, displacement, and community-led development, with a strong focus on dryland restoration, sustainable livelihoods, and values-based leadership.
She holds a PhD in Pharmacognosy and integrates scientific rigor with practical, people-centred approaches to social change. Muna has founded and co-led multi-country initiatives supporting refugees and displaced communities, as well as long-term dryland regeneration in the Horn of Africa. Her work emphasizes development approaches based on personal transformation, trust-building, and ethical leadership to achieve sustainable and inclusive social impact.
Her work includes ecosystem restoration in rural drylands, urban resilience and climate adaptation projects, and capacity-building and leadership programs in the UK. She has partnered with municipalities, NGOs, academic institutions, and diaspora-led organizations through multilateral and cross-sectoral programs, translating research, policy, and community knowledge into practical, locally owned action.
Nareeman Dosa
Chair of Trustees
Nareeman Dosa is a communications professional currently working within audience development, focusing on press release distribution, media monitoring, and marketing solutions. Her previous work centred on amplifying underrepresented voices and addressing social issues across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). She presented a BBC Arabic documentary examining anti-Black racism in Tunisia and the wider region, and previously hosted a podcast focused on social issues affecting communities across the MENA.
Nareeman created and managed “Black Pearls”, a dedicated section at LevantX online magazine celebrating the heritage of people of African descent in North Africa, West Asia and South Asia, while providing a platform for their perspectives and stories.
Nareeman holds a master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Westminster and speaks Arabic and English.
Amanda Clements
Curriculum development
Amanda Clements has a professional background in education, working in a variety of educational and vocational settings. She specialises in supporting marginalised and under-represented groups in the charity and not-for-profit sectors providing advice, consultancy and mentoring. Since 2018 she has worked closely with the Refugees as Rebuilders faculty in designing and developing an innovative and progressive curriculum for settled refugees.
Amanda has a wide-ranging volunteer portfolio which includes national and international programmes supporting sustainable development, galleries, museums and social enterprises. Her academic research is in the field of Education and Social Justice.
Dr. Farid Mohammed Rashid
Trustee and faculty member
Dr. Farid Mohammed Rashid is a legal scholar specializing in international criminal justice and sustainable development. He holds a PhD (2016) from the University of East London, where his doctoral research critically examined the role of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Farid’s broader research interests encompass international humanitarian law, international human rights law and war and human rights. His recent scholarship includes the 2022 publication, “Prosecutorial Discretion in the International Criminal Court: Legitimacy and the Politics of Justice.”
With extensive teaching experience in international criminal law at the University of East London, Farid has also contributed to the Business, Human Rights and the Environment Research Group at the University of Greenwich. Since 2018, he has been an active trainer and facilitator for the Refugees as Rebuilders programme, leading the module on Ethical Leadership for Just Governance. His focus has been on developing the knowledge and skills of refugees on the topics of peace, justice, and peacebuilding in the context of armed conflicts and dictatorship zones.
John Bond OAM
Trustee
John Bond’s work with the Initiatives of Change movement has taken him to all continents, including ten years in Africa and three years as Secretary to Initiatives of Change International. He has undertaken work with refugees both in their countries of refuge and in their home countries after returning.
In Australia, John co-authored a biography of Professor Jerzy Zubrzycki, known as the ‘father of Australian multiculturalism’, who developed the policies which have integrated refugees from many countries into Australian society. His research for the book meant interviewing key political figures such as Malcolm Fraser who, as Prime Minister, transformed the country’s refugee policy. John has been appointed to the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Pragna Hay
Trustee
Pragna Hay is an entrepreneur who has spent most of her life running businesses ranging from a private day nursery for children, to a recruitment company, to a property business, building her experience through entrepreneurship and a strong belief in hard work and community.
Pragna arrived in the UK as a refugee from Uganda at the age of six in 1972. This lived experience has shaped her deep commitment to supporting others who are rebuilding their lives after displacement. Alongside her professional journey, Pragna has served as a Parish Councillor for over 18 years, reflecting her long-standing dedication to public service and local community life. This same motivation lies behind her work as a trustee of Refugees as Rebuilders, contributing to its mission of helping displaced people to move forward with dignity, confidence and hope.