IPB Council Members

Terry Rockefeller was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Terry Rockefeller is based in the USA and is the Co-chair of the Rule of Law Committee of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. The committee’s focus is on closing the detention facilities on the Guantanamo Naval Base and ending the extrajudicial military commissions that have failed to deliver justice and accountability for the crimes of 9/11. Peaceful Tomorrows is part of a coalition of organizations that advocate for human rights and security with the U.S. government and through UN structures.

She is on the Board of Directors of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security. SHe is the National Co-convenor of United for Peace and Justice, a network of national and local, peace, disarmament, social and economic justice organizations in the U.S. She is a 40+ year member of Amnesty International—USA, where she focuses on the work of the Security with Human Rights Co-group. (She served on the Board of Directors from 2013-19.

She is an award-winning documentary film producer. She had the honor of working on Eyes on the Prize, a history of the civil rights and black power movements, and the NOVA science series, among other productions for public television.

Sahlim Charles was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Sahlim Charles Amambia is a Kenyan peacebuilding practitioner, non-violent leadership advocate and global dialoguefacilitator working at the intersection of faith, youth leadership, social cohesion and community-driven peace processes.

He is the Founder and Executive Director of Re-Imagining New Communities, a grassroots-led peacebuilding organization advancing child-centered peace education, interfaith collaboration, and participatory dialogue across Kenya and beyond.

Sahlim’s work is distinguished by its ability to connect local community realities with global policy conversations. Drawing from lived experiences and years of community engagement, he has helped design participatory peacebuilding approaches that equip children, youth leaders, educators, faith communities, and security actors with practical tools for mediation, conflict transformation, and inclusive leadership.

He has contributed to international policy and dialogue platforms including the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington DC, the World Summit for Social Development in Doha, the G20 Interfaith Forum, and the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York, where he has spoken on the role of faith communities, education systems, and youth leadership in strengthening cohesive and resilient societies.

As a Master Trainer in Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution with the United States Institute of Peace, Sahlim has mentored and trained emerging peacebuilders across multiple regions including Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

His facilitation work spans various actors seeking to strengthen conflict-sensitive leadership and community engagement practices.

His work integrates participatory action research, dialogue facilitation, and strategic storytelling to elevate community knowledge within global peacebuilding practice. He has collaborated with institutions including the Media Council of Kenya, FAO, Princeton Theological Seminary, IFPRI, and the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, contributing to initiatives that bridge research, policy, and grassroots action.

Sahlim’s leadership reflects a long-term commitment to cultivating societies where children, youth, and faith communities become architects of peaceful coexistence, translating community wisdom into practical models that inform international conversations on peace, development, and human dignity.

Selected publications

Participatory Action Research for Advancing Youth-Led Peacebuilding in Kenya

The Child Peacebuilder Guide: 10 Pillars for Practicing Peace,

 A Guide to Creating a Safe Inclusive and Supportive Classroom,

 Reimagining Play Spaces in Urban Slums in Nairobi

Supporting spaces where children can be seen and heard 

Highlighted work

Re-Imagining New Communities: An organization that’s changing the narrative on peacebuilding in Kenya

Kenyan peacebuilding organization honored with continental award in Dar es Salaam

How One Peacemaker is Building a Better Future for All. Member Spotlight: Sahlim Charles

Sergio Bassoli was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Sergio Bassoli is based in Italy. He is a CGIL (Italian General Confederation of Labour) senior expert on voluntary bases on peace dossiers, and the Coordinator of the Executive of Rete Italiana Pace e Disarmo (Italian Network for Peace and Disarmament).

Nathaniel Msen Awuapila was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Nathaniel Msen Awuapila is a peacebuilding strategist whose career spans three decades of transformative leadership in education, humanitarian response, social services, and conflict transformation. He is the Founder of CORAFID Centre for Innovation and Research Ltd/Gte (CORAFID) which currently is the State partner for the Presidential Community Engagement Peace Initiative (PCEPI), a peacebuilding project in the office of Nigeria’s President which is being implemented in his home State, Benue, Nigeria. He was the fourth President of Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) from 2022 to 2026, where he successfully transformed the Society from a national body operating in Nigeria into an international association with branches in Sierra Leone and Cameroon. Under his leadership, SPSP secured Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC and full membership of the International Peace Bureau (IPB). SPSP also secured a mandate to provide strategic capacity building for all cadres of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and streamlined partnerships with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and Nigeria’s National Institute for Security Studies (NISS). 

Mina Damnjanović was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Mina Damnjanović is a long-standing peace activist from Serbia, now based in Berlin. She is affiliated with Women in Black in Serbia and an engaged member of WILPF International (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom).
She is the co-founder and program coordinator of the Initiative against sexual violence “I trust You” in Belgrade.

Miguel Álvarez Gandara was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Miguel Álvarez Gandara is based in Mexico. In 1996 he co-founded SERAPAZ – the abbreviation SERAPAZ has got a double meaning: Services and Advices for Peace and also There will be peace. It is a Mexican civil society and non-for-profit organization, independent from the state, political parties, corporations and any other actors. In 2017 Miguel received the prestigious Premio Nacional de Derechos Humanos (National Human Rights Award).

Ludo De Brabander was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Ludo De Brabander is a Belgian writer and spokesman for the Belgian peace organisation Vrede vzw.

Hevelyn Ghizzi was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025 and is currently the Executive Director Dhesarme – Ação Brasileira pelo Desarmamento Humanitário (Brazilian Action for Humanitarian Disarmament).

Hevelyn is a Brazilian researcher and international relations professional working at the intersection of humanitarian disarmament, international law, peace and security, and regional cooperation. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations at the Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA) and a postgraduate specialization in Public International Law at the Center for International Law (CEDIN). She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Integration from UNILA.
Hevelyn is a Council Member of the International Peace Bureau (IPB), co-leads its Demilitarization Working Group, and co-leads its regional working group for Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to international discussions and initiatives on disarmament, demilitarization, military spending, and emerging security challenges. She also serves as Executive Director of DHESARME – Brazilian Action for Humanitarian Disarmament and as Regional Organiser for Latin America and the Caribbean with the Stop Killer Robots campaign.

Her academic and advocacy work focuses particularly on humanitarian disarmament, International Humanitarian Law, autonomous weapons systems, human security, arms control, and the regulation of emerging technologies in warfare. Her master’s research examines the international process toward the regulation of autonomous weapons systems, with particular attention to humanitarian and legal challenges and ongoing negotiations within the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).

Her broader experience includes international advocacy, research, project management, paradiplomacy, transborder cooperation, and engagement with civil society networks in Latin America and internationally.

Selected Publications

“International Law and Autonomous Weapons: Challenges in Limitation and Regulation” Original title: “Direito Internacional e as Armas Autônomas: Desafios dos Limites e Regulamentações”. Co-authored with Rafael Euclides Seidel Batista. Published in Direito Internacional em Expansão, Vol. XXVI, Chapter 23, pp. 403–416. Link: https://arraeseditores.com.br/direito-internacional-em-expansao-v-26/

“Humanitarian Disarmament as a Means of Promoting Peace in the Era of Technological Transition.” Published by Stop Killer Robots as part of the UN Disarmament Week series, 27 October 2023. Link: https://stopkillerrobots.medium.com/humanitarian-disarmament-as-a-means-of-promoting-peace-in-the-era-of-technological-transition-4d27d50e2e05

“Autonomous Weapons Systems, Inequality, and the Struggle for Human Dignity: A Youth Perspective from the Global South”. Published by Stop Killer Robots as part of the UN Disarmament Week series, 27 October 2025. Link: https://stopkillerrobots.medium.com/autonomous-weapons-systems-inequality-and-the-struggle-for-human-dignity-a-youth-perspective-b72d642bed98

“Transnational Organized Crime and the Challenges of Public Security in the Tri-Border Area (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay)” Original title: “A Delinquência Organizada Transnacional e os Desafios da Segurança Pública na Tríplice Fronteira (Argentina, Brasil e Paraguai)”.Undergraduate thesis, Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA), 2024. Link: https://dspace.unila.edu.br/server/api/core/bitstreams/0e2358de-c304-465e-84ad-ced907d43eea/content

Gabriel Aguirre was elected as an IPB Council member in October 2025.

Gabriel Aguirre is Latin America Organizer for World BEYOND War, is from Venezuela, and is currently based in Bógota. He has been an activist and advocate for peace, social justice, international solidarity and human rights, and has more than 13 years of experience in social and community work. He has participated in multiple international events and activities on five continents, always in defense of a stable and lasting peace. He has been a representative to the United Nations to defend the foundations of a more just world without wars or sanctions. His work experience includes participation in several international missions of solidarity to countries that have had military, economic, political, and social conflicts. He has also been an organizer of various campaigns for the closure of military bases, and the lifting of sanctions on countries that suffer their consequences. He holds a degree in Political Science, with a specialization in International Relations, and a master’s degree in Public Policy. He can be contacted through his email: gabriel @ worldbeyondwar.org.