Dr Émilie Medeiros

Émilie is the founder and director of Manas. She is a clinical psychologist who holds a PhD in Psychological Anthropology (UCL). For the over 20 years, her career has been dedicated to shedding light on the intricate dynamics of collective violence and its profound effects on the individual psyche and the social fabric. Her work has often embedded research within clinical interventions, playing a pivotal role in deepening the understanding of the reintegration and the recovery of survivors and actors of extreme violence, including ‘child soldiers’, victims of torture and of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).

Her expertise has been invaluable to a wide range of organisations, from NGOs and CSOs to government agencies, including the UK government and the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), as well as UN entities (e.g. UNICEF, OHCHR). Émilie has also played a pivotal role in various transitional justice and international criminal justice initiatives, serving as an Associate-victim expert with the International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor since 2005. Her contributions span across clinical advice, research, training, academic publications, alongside influencing the strategic facets of programming, funding, and policy development.

Professor Richard Rechtman

Richard is a psychiatrist and a professor of Anthropology, director of studies and scientific director of the International Network of Researchers Engaging with Extreme Violence (RICEVE) at the EHESS in France. He has been a clinical director psychiatric services since the 1990s, devising innovative care with adolescents, as well as transcultural interventions for refugees.

The academic career of Richard is one of excellence and of recognition worldwide in the field of conceptualisation of forms of extreme violence, subjectivity and collective traumas, CRSV, as well genocidal violence both from the angle of perpetrators and of victims. He directs research and offers reflective supervisions combining Anthropology and Psychiatry to support professionals engaging with issues of extreme violence. Among other publications, he is the author of Living in Death. Genocide and Its Functionaries and co-authored The Empire of Trauma.

Dr Gregory Keane

Greg is a psychiatrist and health service strategist, working with general community and at-risk populations internationally, including victims and perpetrators of extreme violence in conflicts. Greg’s additional qualification in public health from Harvard University, has provided him with additional unique expertise in global health, the legal and political implications of mass violence and trauma, approaches to the support of young people and mothers, and refugees. Further shaped by his psychotherapy training, Greg also has excellent skills in clinical supervision, mentoring, and in supporting frontline professionals engaging with issues of violence and recovery.

Since 2014, Greg has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières [MSF] on mental health programmes such as in the West Bank, Yemen, and Afghanistan, and led the department between 2018 and 2022, providing guidance and leadership for emergencies such as in Ukraine and MENA.Greg has worked with MSF's research arm Epicentre in delivering research projects, and working with the International Legal Department to ensure that mental health records can be used for international legal cases. He continues to support their clinical operations, while engaging with the WHO and IASC-MHPSS policy and technical guidance related to the human rights of people experiencing mental health conditions.

Ms Gita Rasaili

Gita grew up during the Nepalese armed conflict. Early on, she became a champion for the powerless and for justice, being born to a caste considered "untouchable" and having lost a sister who was sexually assaulted and shot by the Nepal Army in her family home.

She is engaged in various conflict victim organisations in Nepal dedicated to supporting them and advocating for their rights, ensuring their rights were upheld and their stories heard. Gita’s influence extends to Voices Of Women Media, where she plays a crucial role in providing a platform for women with histories of vulnerability, violence, and resilience. Here, she empowers women to share their stories, find support, and reclaim their voices, offering hope to those who have endured adversity.

Her impactful journey extends even further. As a contributor for the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 and 1820 Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), she utilises her expertise to shape policies that address conflict-related issues. Her transformation from a conflict victim to a leader stands as a demonstration of the resilience and determination that can drive positive change that continues to inspire her community and beyond. 

Dr Ambia Parveen

Ambia is the first and only Rohingya child psychiatrist and paediatrician. She currently practices clinically in Germany, while continuing to be a dedicated advocate worldwide to end the persecution and particularly the mental harm perpetrated against Rohingya communities. She has a particular interest in addressing the impact on children and young people.

Ambia is a dedicated activist and campaigner around the world for the cause of the suffering of Rohingyas. She is the current chair of the European Rohingya Council and co-founder of the Rohingya Medics Organisation. Ambia has advocated strongly to promote inclusivity in the collective endeavour for the on-going struggle for the rights and protection of Rohingyas.

She has been involved in supporting various humanitarian initiatives, remotely and through field visits with displaced Rohingya populations in Bangladesh. She has been involved in various research initiatives and in offering psychosocial support to young people, with a particular focus on children.  

Dr Claudia Seymour

Claudia is an applied social researcher with more than 20 years of experience, working primarily in conflict-affected environments. She is passionate about bringing action to research, with particular interest in youth, protection, resilience to violence, and the ethics of international engagement. She has extensive experience working with the United Nations and as a research consultant for a range of international NGOs and think tanks, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. She is a trainer in protection and human rights and a lecturer and convenor in MA courses on the political economy of violence, conflict management, and the ethics of international engagement.

Author of “The Myth of International Protection”, she is a Senior Researcher with the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva) and a Research Associate at the Department of Development Studies at SOAS (University of London). 

M. Himal Gaire

Initially a journalist, Himal re-trained as a mental health practitioner with extensive experience in offering culturally-sensitive clinical interventions and mentoring-supervision to frontline professionals practicing in the most remote areas of Nepal. His in-depth understanding has enabled him to navigate highly sensitive social and political landscapes.

He has developed extensive knowledge of the needs of war-affected populations, including of torture, sexual violence, child protection for young people and their families, as well as both children and adults insurgents - formerly involved with the Maoist armed group during the People’s War. This is an area he continues to advocate for at governmental level to ensure the Transitional Justice agenda is prioritised.   

Himal also has important experience conducting research, including participant-observation methods. His subjects of interest relate to MHPSS in (post) armed conflicts, disaster response, and in addressing human rights issues related to bonded labour and migrant workers. His contributions have been recognised in the British Medical Journal and Transcultural Psychiatry.

Dr Dean Flanagan

Dean is a psychologist specialising in supporting young people, families and communities across cultural and religious identities. Dean was born in Belfast during 'The Troubles’, he has lived experience of community violence and wider socio-political unrest. Dean is a passionate advocate for the healing benefits of community cohesion, peace-building and amplifying the voice of those people who find themselves persecuted and marginalised.

Dean has worked as a consultant, trainer and therapist in the field of trauma with hard-to-reach communities and with migrants from conflict-affected communities. He has experience supporting survivors to enable their engagement to advocacy events and conferences, such as with the PSVI [Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative] and Wilton Park with FCDO, as well as developing professional practice in the context of juvenile justice in Ukraine and the design of the Grenfell tragedy memorial (UK).  Dean has expertise in enabling trauma-informed practices, holding a special interest in facilitating group work for frontline professionals, such as reflective practice groups, trainings, and consultation to professional networks. 

Dr Émilie Medeiros

Émilie is the founder and director of Manas. She is a clinical psychologist who holds a PhD in Psychological Anthropology (UCL). For the over 20 years, her career has been dedicated to shedding light on the intricate dynamics of collective violence and its profound effects on the individual psyche and the social fabric. Her work has often embedded research within clinical interventions, playing a pivotal role in deepening the understanding of the reintegration and the recovery of survivors and actors of extreme violence, including ‘child soldiers’, victims of torture and of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).

Her expertise has been invaluable to a wide range of organisations, from NGOs and CSOs to government agencies, including the UK government and the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), as well as UN entities (e.g. UNICEF, OHCHR). Émilie has also played a pivotal role in various transitional justice and international criminal justice initiatives, serving as an Associate-victim expert with the International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor since 2005. Her contributions span across clinical advice, research, training, academic publications, alongside influencing the strategic facets of programming, funding, and policy development.

Professor Richard Rechtman

Richard is a psychiatrist and a professor of Anthropology, director of studies and scientific director of the International Network of Researchers Engaging with Extreme Violence (RICEVE) at the EHESS in France. He has been a clinical director psychiatric services since the 1990s, devising innovative care with adolescents, as well as transcultural interventions for refugees.

The academic career of Richard is one of excellence and of recognition worldwide in the field of conceptualisation of forms of extreme violence, subjectivity and collective traumas, CRSV, as well genocidal violence both from the angle of perpetrators and of victims. He directs research and offers reflective supervisions combining Anthropology and Psychiatry to support professionals engaging with issues of extreme violence. Among other publications, he is the author of Living in Death. Genocide and Its Functionaries and co-authored The Empire of Trauma.

Dr Gregory Keane

Greg is a psychiatrist and health service strategist, working with general community and at-risk populations internationally, including victims and perpetrators of extreme violence in conflicts. Greg’s additional qualification in public health from Harvard University, has provided him with additional unique expertise in global health, the legal and political implications of mass violence and trauma, approaches to the support of young people and mothers, and refugees. Further shaped by his psychotherapy training, Greg also has excellent skills in clinical supervision, mentoring, and in supporting frontline professionals engaging with issues of violence and recovery.

Since 2014, Greg has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières [MSF] on mental health programmes such as in the West Bank, Yemen, and Afghanistan, and led the department between 2018 and 2022, providing guidance and leadership for emergencies such as in Ukraine and MENA.Greg has worked with MSF's research arm Epicentre in delivering research projects, and working with the International Legal Department to ensure that mental health records can be used for international legal cases. He continues to support their clinical operations, while engaging with the WHO and IASC-MHPSS policy and technical guidance related to the human rights of people experiencing mental health conditions.

Ms Gita Rasaili

Gita grew up during the Nepalese armed conflict. Early on, she became a champion for the powerless and for justice, being born to a caste considered "untouchable" and having lost a sister who was sexually assaulted and shot by the Nepal Army in her family home.

She is engaged in various conflict victim organisations in Nepal dedicated to supporting them and advocating for their rights, ensuring their rights were upheld and their stories heard. Gita’s influence extends to Voices Of Women Media, where she plays a crucial role in providing a platform for women with histories of vulnerability, violence, and resilience. Here, she empowers women to share their stories, find support, and reclaim their voices, offering hope to those who have endured adversity.

Her impactful journey extends even further. As a contributor for the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 and 1820 Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), she utilises her expertise to shape policies that address conflict-related issues. Her transformation from a conflict victim to a leader stands as a demonstration of the resilience and determination that can drive positive change that continues to inspire her community and beyond. 

Dr Ambia Parveen

Ambia is the first and only Rohingya child psychiatrist and paediatrician. She currently practices clinically in Germany, while continuing to be a dedicated advocate worldwide to end the persecution and particularly the mental harm perpetrated against Rohingya communities. She has a particular interest in addressing the impact on children and young people.

Ambia is a dedicated activist and campaigner around the world for the cause of the suffering of Rohingyas. She is the current chair of the European Rohingya Council and co-founder of the Rohingya Medics Organisation. Ambia has advocated strongly to promote inclusivity in the collective endeavour for the on-going struggle for the rights and protection of Rohingyas.

She has been involved in supporting various humanitarian initiatives, remotely and through field visits with displaced Rohingya populations in Bangladesh. She has been involved in various research initiatives and in offering psychosocial support to young people, with a particular focus on children.  

Dr Claudia Seymour

Claudia is an applied social researcher with more than 20 years of experience, working primarily in conflict-affected environments. She is passionate about bringing action to research, with particular interest in youth, protection, resilience to violence, and the ethics of international engagement. She has extensive experience working with the United Nations and as a research consultant for a range of international NGOs and think tanks, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. She is a trainer in protection and human rights and a lecturer and convenor in MA courses on the political economy of violence, conflict management, and the ethics of international engagement.

Author of “The Myth of International Protection”, she is a Senior Researcher with the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva) and a Research Associate at the Department of Development Studies at SOAS (University of London). 

M. Himal Gaire

Initially a journalist, Himal re-trained as a mental health practitioner with extensive experience in offering culturally-sensitive clinical interventions and mentoring-supervision to frontline professionals practicing in the most remote areas of Nepal. His in-depth understanding has enabled him to navigate highly sensitive social and political landscapes.

He has developed extensive knowledge of the needs of war-affected populations, including of torture, sexual violence, child protection for young people and their families, as well as both children and adults insurgents - formerly involved with the Maoist armed group during the People’s War. This is an area he continues to advocate for at governmental level to ensure the Transitional Justice agenda is prioritised.   

Himal also has important experience conducting research, including participant-observation methods. His subjects of interest relate to MHPSS in (post) armed conflicts, disaster response, and in addressing human rights issues related to bonded labour and migrant workers. His contributions have been recognised in the British Medical Journal and Transcultural Psychiatry.

Dr Dean Flanagan

Dean is a psychologist specialising in supporting young people, families and communities across cultural and religious identities. Dean was born in Belfast during 'The Troubles’, he has lived experience of community violence and wider socio-political unrest. Dean is a passionate advocate for the healing benefits of community cohesion, peace-building and amplifying the voice of those people who find themselves persecuted and marginalised.

Dean has worked as a consultant, trainer and therapist in the field of trauma with hard-to-reach communities and with migrants from conflict-affected communities. He has experience supporting survivors to enable their engagement to advocacy events and conferences, such as with the PSVI [Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative] and Wilton Park with FCDO, as well as developing professional practice in the context of juvenile justice in Ukraine and the design of the Grenfell tragedy memorial (UK).  Dean has expertise in enabling trauma-informed practices, holding a special interest in facilitating group work for frontline professionals, such as reflective practice groups, trainings, and consultation to professional networks.