team and board

TEAM & BOARD

We are a dedicated, diverse, and dynamic group of activists and advocates committed to realizing the vision of WLP and the overall mission of a peaceful Afghanistan where every Afghan can access their full potential and live in dignity and peace, not only in the absence of negative peace but in the absence of structural violence.

ZAKIRA RASOOLI
FOUNDER AND ACTIVIST

A peace and human rights activist, Zakira has 8 years of experience working for peace, security, human rights, and development with international non-profits and agencies in Afghanistan and beyond. Fueled by a passion for sustainable peace, she co-founded Afghanistan Unites, a youth-led movement promoting nonviolence and empowerment. As a researcher and writer, she has collaborated with prominent organizations and institutes (Policy Corner, DROPS, Toda Peace Institute, IWPS) and published in academic journals. Her expertise includes legal advocacy and policy reform, working with organizations like iProbono and Women for Justice Organization, Women Leading Peace to strengthen justice for women and children, particularly war survivors. Driven by the critical need for women's voices in peacebuilding and decision-making, she founded Women Leading Peace (WLP). She is currently a Master of Global Affairs student at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and is recipient of Kroc fellowship.

FIANA ARBAB
GENDER ADVOCACY EXPERT

Fiana (Syeda) Arbab is the current International Financial Institutions (IFI) Advocacy & Gender Coordinator with Oxfam International's DC advocacy office. She graduated with a Master of Global Affairs (MGA) at the University of Notre Dame, concentrating in Sustainable Development and minoring in Peace Studies. Fiana has served as a racial justice and community organizer in several capacities across the United States, and is connected to activist circles in Michigan, Georgia, and Indiana. She is a founding member and Board President of the Michigan nonprofit dedicated to Asian American civic engagement and women's empowerment, called Rising Voices of Asian American Families. Fiana also currently serves on several Michigan-based nonprofit boards including Women's March Michigan and Michigan Student Power Alliance.

TYLER PRY
ADVOCACY EXPERT

Tyler works at Saferworld USA where he develops and implements advocacy strategies to influence the US government’s response to conflict and insecurity in countries where Saferworld works. Focusing on Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen, he leads outreach to Congress and the State Department, encouraging greater engagement with civil society, and inclusivity in peace processes. He has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

AKSHAY TARFE
CAMPAIGN EXPERT

Akshay Tarfe is a global campaigner with experience in advocacy, communications, and public policy. He currently works at Oxfam International as a Gender Rights and Justice campaigner. Prior to that, Akshay was part of the campaigning and advocacy team at Oxfam in India, where he worked on privatization, school education, public health, and wealth inequality. He is also a member of the Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA). Akshay holds a master’s degree in communication and journalism and a bachelor of arts degree in Geography from the University of Mumbai.

MEENA AMINI
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Meena Amini was born in 1997 in Ghazni province and graduated from Speenkalay Naswan High School in 2014. In 2015, Amini was admitted to the Information System Faculty of Computer Science at Kabul University. During that time, she worked with ITCC (Information Technology Competence Center) for one year inside the Ministry of Higher Education. Her project emerged as one of the top 39 top projects among universities nationwide, and her final thesis, Machine Learning Project – Automatic Dari Text Summarization – marked the pioneering female thesis in the field at Kabul University. After graduating in 2018, she worked as a web officer at BrightPoint Consulting Services until 2021. At the same time, Amini also worked as a member of the digital marketing team at Obrang Media Production. During these years, she worked as a supervisor of HITL (Humans in the Loop) through BrightPoint. In 2021, Amini worked as a freelancer with several companies including Ecephan, Harir Safron, Afghan Minor, Afghan Ryan, and a dry fruit company. In 2022, she started working remotely as a Quality Assurance Specialist in HITL. In the same year, Amini became the headmistress of Setaragan Zirak High School. Amini has done some amazing work for the high school such as creating a research and innovation committee, building a digital marketing team, developing the school’s website, and providing capacity-building seminars for the school staff and students. Along with her team, she started building up the Futsal team for national competitions. Finally, Amini is excelling in balancing both roles, striving to contribute to a community that currently needs individuals like her more than ever before.