People

Ben is an experienced social researcher and award-winning filmmaker.

He has over five years experience in senior research and strategy roles in Central Government. He has worked with the think tanks Demos (UK) and Vison (Italy) on international development issues and presented research findings to UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs and OECD international conferences.

Ben has also produced and directed short documentaries with the independent production company Faction Films; freelance research and advocacy films for NGOs and government; award-winning short fiction films, one of which was nominated for the prestigious Palme D'Or.

He has an MSc in Gender & Development from the London School of Economics and MA Cantab in Social & Political Science.

Research/policy interests and expertise include:

- ICT, media and development

- Democratic engagement and community empowerment

- Policy transfer and lesson drawing

- Research methods and evaluation design/implementation

Preti is a writer, editor and filmmaker specialising in human rights issues. She has wide experience working in the media and NGO sectors.

At UK charity Headliners, she ran an award winning programme training young people from the UK and Northern Ireland to use journalism and photography to get their voices heard in the mainstream media. She has made participatory films working with young people, former child soldiers and refugees from all over the world.

Preti writes, commissions and edits human rights reports, briefing papers and journalism on Iraq, Kosovo and other conflict and post conflict areas. She has worked for organisations such as the International Federation of the Red Cross, Reuters Alertnet, One World, BBC Radio Four, BBC World Service, Guardian Unlimited and Open Democracy. Her work has covered a range of subjects such as the exclusion of Pastoralist women in East Africa, the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities, and the cost to Muslims of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

Preti has a PGDip in Print Journalism from City University, London and an MA in Theology from the University of Cambridge, where she focused on Interfaith dialogue, Islam and Hinduism.

Expertise includes developing and delivering:

- Writing, commissioning and editing reports, journalism and campaign films

- Print and broadcast journalism training programmes for both NGO trainers and community members, used by UNICEF

- NGO media strategies for securing worldwide coverage of key issues

- EU/donor funded programmes that use media for social inclusion and community empowerment

Tom has been freelancing in the UK television industry since 1995 and worked his way up from tea runner to a producer and director of entertainment and factual programmes for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five & Sky. More recently Tom has used his multiple production skills to write, shoot and edit video content for blue chip corporate clients such as EDF energy, Nokia, Vodaphone, Virgin Media, Harper Collins.

Tom has filming experience in remote locations such as Rwanda, Myanmar and Siberia and he has also worked for community groups and charities running video production workshops for vulnerable adults, creating promos and educational programmes for The Media Trust.

In his spare time Tom enjoys making short fiction films and is currently screening his recent film LUCKY OLD BAG at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

An online CV and showreel material can be found on his website: www.thomasstarkholland.com

Chris is a highly experienced and award winning producer, director, editor and cameraman. He shot and assistant produced 'Fever Road', the story of Peter Kombo, Chief of Kiagware village in Kenya, as he battles through the malaria season. The film won the 2005 One World Television Documentary Award.

Chris has produced critically acclaimed observational documentaries for BBC 1, BBC2, Channel 4, ITV and Discovery Channel (US). Recent projects include a follow up to 'Fever Road' for the BBC and producing short films about UNICEF's and DFID’s work in Africa, including HIV prevention and treatment programmes in Nigeria and reconciliation efforts in post genocide Rwanda.

His work can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/user/straightlinefilms

and

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=32240C5F2D7FD80E

Tristan is an award-winning journalist living and working in Africa since 2004.

He has reported from close to twenty African countries for a range of international publications including the Economist, Times (London), Christian Science Monitor, New Statesman and openDemocracy. He is currently a correspondent for GlobalPost www.globalpost.com based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Alongside his reportage Tristan has worked as a consultant journalist for Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID) helping to improve its media impact and reporting on its humanitarian and development work in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2007 Tristan was a finalist in the Kurt Schork Award for international journalism and in 2008 was named ‘Journalist of the Year’ in the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards. He has an MA in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University and his work has been published in academic journals in Britain and America.

Tugela is a photographer with wide experience of working in different parts of Africa where she has lived since 2003.

She has photographed conflicts, elections, breaking news and feature stories across the continent for major international newswires including Reuters, Agence France Presse (AFP) and European Pressphoto Agency (EPA). Tugela’s work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the world including the Guardian, Times (London), Christian Science Monitor and Le Monde.

Tugela also undertakes assignments for NGOs and humanitarian organizations throughout sub-Saharan Africa from her base in Nairobi, Kenya. She has photographed for groups including Save The Children, Merlin, Sightsavers, Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations.

www.tugelaridley.com 

Toby is a producer, director and camera man who has worked for broadcasters including BBC, Channel Five and Discovery Channel amongst others.

He has worked across a diverse range of genres and subject matters, from filming documentaries in northern Uganda, to producing factual entertainment for US broadcasters.

Since 2006 Toby has lived and worked in Africa and South East Asia. His work has included consulting on television programming for social change with the NGO, Search for Common Ground, in both DR Congo and Indonesia.

In addition Toby has experience managing UNICEF, USAID, WFO and WHO funded projects for a Ugandan based NGO.

Fay is an internationally-published writer and researcher with ten years' experience, specialising in humanitarian and development issues in Africa. She has lived and worked in eight countries in east and the horn of Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

Her areas of expertise include humanitarian landmine action, the social effects of religion, small scale and artisanal mining, and indigenous/minority rights. She has worked for international organisations including IRIN, the World Bank, the Mines Awareness Trust and Minority Rights Group International. She is the author of MRG's 2008 report on the Batwa people of east and central Africa.

She has a Master's with merit from the School of Oriental and African Studies and a first class degree from the University of Cambridge.