United States Refugee Advisory Board Announces Its Second Cohort of Advisors
The US Refugee Advisory Board (USRAB) is honored to welcome seven new advisors whose combined lived experiences and professional expertise will provide invaluable perspective to USRAB’s governmental, NGO, and multilateral partners.
"In light of current international humanitarian crises, the need for refugee leadership is more critical than ever. With increasing crises and forced displacement of human lives, we are marking a timely and significant milestone as we welcome our second cohort of advisors to the US Refugee Advisory Board. The advisors’ professional backgrounds, shaped by their direct journeys of displacement, uniquely position us to advocate for meaningful and impactful change within the international framework,” said Nga Vương-Sandoval, USRAB Project Manager. “I extend my warmest congratulations to our newest advisors and look forward to the dynamic contributions and dialogue that will emerge from the collective efforts of all our advisors.”
Please join us in welcoming our newest advisors who began their work in October with an intensive, week-long Training Program with lectures on global governance and the international policy-making process, as well as advocacy workshops and simulation exercises. They will continue to engage with relevant bodies of the US Government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), civil society groups, and refugee-led organizations.
The newest cohort of advisors includes Faith Akovi Cooper, Nabin Dhimal, Kendra Frith, Bahati Kanyamanza, Nejra Sumic, Emma Yaaka, and Ayda Zugay.
“I am thrilled to welcome our newest Advisors’ cohort to the United States Refugee Advisory Board — our newest members join us with decades of combined experience in global advocacy, policy analysis, and strategic communications. After undergoing a comprehensive application process, and subsequent training at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration, these distinguished leaders will undoubtedly make unique contributions to the Board, across domestic and international policy arenas, and most critically, in their communities,” said Mohammed Naeem, Chair of the United States Refugee Advisory Board. “We are at a consequential moment globally, and to meet the demands of our shared future, centering the lived expertise of forcibly displaced people (FDPs) is mission-critical in addressing the multifaceted challenges across the humanitarian protection system. We look forward to working with our civil society, government, and multilateral partners to advance this mandate.”
The United States Refugee Advisory Board (USRAB) was established by Refugee Congress (RC), Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), and Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM) as an initiative to ensure that forcibly displaced people have a meaningful and equitable role in influencing policy-making processes across the global policymaking fora. USRAB provides a transparent and accountable mechanism for meaningful participation in multilateral settings, and ensures that the interests, perspectives, knowledge, and experiences of forcibly-displaced people are consistently given an influential voice on issues regarding themselves and other forcibly displaced populations.
