Sonja Miley, Co-Executive Director

Sonja has a degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University in California. She spent many years working in international cultural exchange before joining the civil society sector.

Sonja has worked over 25 years in multicultural environments and has travelled extensively which supports her inclusive and holistic approach to engagement.

Sonja’s ongoing training is focused in psychological sciences and the facilitation of groups where she incorporates a trauma-informed approach to her current work.

She is a certified Brennan Healing Science Practitioner (BHSP) undertaking a 4-year training 2004-2008, and from 2015-2017 certified as a facilitator from the Centre of Systemic Constellations (CSC).

She has also worked with several non-profit organisations in the UK and abroad with inner-city youth and other marginalised groups.

You can find her on X (Twitter) at @Sonja_Miley.

Maddy Crowther, Co-Executive Director

Maddy joined Waging Peace in September 2014 from a background in communications and public affairs, as well as academic experience studying African politics at Cambridge University.

She is a Horn of Africa expert, have also served as the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eritrea from 2021-2023.

Shahd Ahmed, Welcome & Wellbeing Support Coordinator

Shahd is Sudanese and British with experience in Learning Disabilities and Behaviour Management. She has volunteered with Sudanese youth and asylum-seeker initiatives for 5+ years. She believes it is vital to take time to understand each individual and their specific needs, and is passionate about enriching the lives of people in Sudan and in the diaspora.

Bushra Rahama, Archive & Documentation Lead

Bushra is a long-standing human rights monitoring expert, and human rights defender. He is director of the monitoring organisation the HUDO Centre, which observes and reports on abuses in Blue Nile and South Kordofan. He works part-time with Waging Peace on its archived materials, most notably the children’s drawings.

Dr Rachel Century MBE, Senior Operations Management Consultant

Rachel Century has spent 11 years at the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), the last two as Deputy Chief Executive. She is a published author and recently received an MBE for services to Holocaust education and commemoration. She’s delighted to join Waging Peace as a Senior Consultant, having worked with them on many projects whilst at HMDT.

Our Trustees

Rebecca Tinsley, President and Founder of Waging Peace

Rebecca started Waging Peace after visiting Darfur at the height of the genocide in 2004. She is a former BBC reporter and the author of When the Stars Fall to Earth, a novel about Sudan.

She also founded the charity Network for Africa which provides psychotherapy counselling training in countries recovering from conflict.

Dr Richard Cockett

Richard is a journalist, writer and academic. He has been a senior editor at The Economist newspaper since 1999, working as a foreign correspondent in Latin America, African and Asia. He has written several books, including Sudan; The Failure and Division of an African State, based on years of travelling to the country.

The second edition of the book was published by Yale University Press in 2016. He has also lectured widely on issues relating to international affairs and contemporary politics.

Shaughnessy Hawkins

Shaughnessy (“Ness”) is a commercial lawyer with a passion for mathematics.

She enjoys policy and advocacy, and getting back to the Canadian wilderness whenever possible.

Toufique Hossain

Toufique is the Director of Public Law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

His practise is dominated by judicial review, leading strategic litigation where he represents individual claimants and NGOs who seek to challenge Executive decisions, policies and practices.

Mahgoub Tawer Kafi

A visiting minister at Heathrow Immigration Centre, with a working knowledge of multi-faiths represented within an immigration centre.

He has a degree in Business Management from the University of Bath Spa 2019, and a degree from Cairo in Khartoum Sudan 1983. He has studied accounting, business management, economics, and statistics. He worked for the Chamber of Taxation Khartoum (SUDAN) Inland Revenue, and has been promoted into various positions within taxation.

In Sweden he was the chairman of the Islamic Sunni Centre and an Imam in the Gambian Mosque in Gothenburg City. Mahgoub has experience in projects and leading preparations for social activities for adults and teenagers.

Amna Abdallah

Amna has a degree in Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Technology from Sudan University of Sciences and Technology. Now she works as an Immigrant Coach. She helps immigrant women develop social intelligence, start their careers, and find their dream jobs. Amna’s training programme is focused on shifting the mindset and improving communication skills and social intelligence. You can find her on Instagram @amnaamazinglife

Trustees not pictured

Dame Rosalind Marsden
Victoria Harding-Mbogo

Behind the Scenes

Caspar Kennerdale – Digital Operations

Caspar has been working with Waging Peace since 2017. He manages the digital operations which includes the website and intranet.

Caspar is passionate about working with people with dedicated causes from the grassroots up.

He is also the founder of ClearCommunityWeb, a social enterprise fighting for digital inclusion in the UK.

Robert Woodfield – Accountant

Robert has a wide accounting experience over many years.

Latterly working with non-profits and the charity sector in supporting financial objectives and good governance.

Carrie Braes – Graphic Design

Carrie is a graphic designer who has been working with Waging Peace since 2007.

She’s a former printmaker, current part-time restorer of period houses and contributes her artistic skills to Waging Peace to support promoting human rights.

Our Team