Policy Lead
Veronica Zeitlin is a lawyer and international policy and program expert. She has over 20 years of experience combating human trafficking and assisting survivors through trauma-informed approaches. Currently a consultant, she served as Chief of Research and Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Senior Advisor, Counter-Trafficking in Persons, Gender, and Migration, at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Reports and Political Affairs Analyst at the U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, where she covered Africa
Project Lead
Heather Wokusch’s international career in organizational development, journalism, multimedia, strategic management, cross-culture, and advocacy has spanned five continents and multiple fields.
A firm believer in the democratization of knowledge, Heather is an expert in various forms of virtual learning. She creates customized digital solutions for public and private entities and has developed multiple Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). As the founder of blockhub.care, she innovates hybrid solutions of EdTech and PeaceTech for the humanitarian and development sectors, especially regarding mental health, forced migration, human trafficking, and climate change.
As Executive Director of MESPERO: Impact for Resilience, she consults corporations, governmental groups, educational institutions and other entities on digital transformation, leadership development, workforce experience, change management, and globalization. This includes innovating effective approaches for scaling EdTech and PeaceTech support to underserved populations.
Click below for examples of Heather’s activities:
Partner Lead
Malaika Oringo is the Founder and CEO of Footprint to Freedom, a survivor-led organization. She is also the Director of the African Survivor Coalition and the Director of Development of the African Survivor Leadership Academy.
Malaika Oringo is a talented advocate and speaks up against human trafficking and stands up for victims’ rights and works to strengthen the survivor’s inclusion and engagement. She has spoken on various stages throughout Europe, such as in Paris, Geneva, Athens, London, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
Raised in Uganda in harsh conditions and exploited in the Netherlands, Malaika Oringo has devoted her life to fighting against human trafficking. She believes that since survivors are the most significant stakeholders in the fight against human trafficking, they should sit at decision-making tables from community level to national level and international level. She has lobbied at the European Commission and spoken at the European Parliament about the gaps in the current approach human trafficking. She also advised on the best practices that can provide victim centered trauma informed and survivor centered approaches to improve response to survivors and victims’ needs.
Kaltuma Noorow brings over eight years of experience in program management and coordination, specializing in social healing programs across Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Since 2016, she has designed and developed impactful social programs and curricula tailored to diverse contexts in these three countries.
Her leadership was pivotal in overseeing a peacebuilding program with 3,887 participants, a project recognized by the Paris Peace Forum for its success. Kaltuma has also spearheaded the creation of virtual social healing initiatives, curating and producing content and videos for various digital learning platforms.
Kaltuma has pursued studies in Peacebuilding and Development at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, deepening her expertise in the field. She is deeply passionate about the intersection of trauma healing, neuroscience, and spirituality. She is dedicated to mentoring and empowering the next generation of leaders, emphasizing community collaboration in co-creating curricula and peace processes across African contexts.
Currently, Kaltuma manages the Proposed Wajir Peace University in Northern Kenya, a continuation of the peace process that began in the 1990s. The University aspires to connect ongoing peace practices with research and academia. Once established, it will serve as a vital resource for peace education and a research hub for the Horn of Africa and beyond.
Additionally, Kaltuma is a key contributor to the Abyei Women’s Initiative, a groundbreaking project that centers women in peacebuilding efforts. This initiative leverages the challenges of war and conflict as opportunities to foster meaningful change and advance cooperation.
Suad is the CEO and Founder of the Global Health Club and a Member of the UNHCR Refugee Team Austria.
She was awarded Austria’s Bock Preis 2025. In 2023, she was recognized by the Austrian-Arab Women Physicians and Pharmacists Association for her dedication to medical and humanitarian aid.
Originally from Somalia, Suad has also lived in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Pakistan, and Austria. She speaks six languages: Somali, Arabic, German, English, Hindi and Urdu.
Suad graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Karachi. She works as a Social Medical Consultant (including psychological counseling) and as a Team Leader at Diakonie Österreich and as a Consultant at the Austrian Red Cross.
She is a certified counselor regarding female genital mutilation (FGM) issues and is active in related community outreach. SDG 3 is especially important to Suad.
Suad also worked at Medical University of Vienna in the Public Health Department’s research sector and contributed to the publication of the first research about FGM in Austria.
Suad is an international speaker and a sought-after panelist and presenter, known for her storytelling skills in a variety of areas. She has spoken at the United Nations on interreligious and youth topics, contributed to a migration and health panel at European Forum Alpbach, and contributed to high-level events including at the Diplomatic Academy Vienna, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens and at an International Peace Day celebration hosted by the Second President of the Austrian Parliament.
