FIONA NGARACHU: I am a PhD student in the Department of Politics. My project focuses on how young people exercise and practice their ethnic identity in Kenya. The questions of interest in my project are: How do young people ‘learn’ and develop their aspectival identities in their communities? How are young people negotiating their daily lives? My background is varied as I started out my career in the private sector working in marketing and public relations before using a break to do my master’s degree as an opportunity to shift to the not-for-profit sector in Kenya.I believe the Global South Forum is important as an opportunity to meet those outside your sometimes narrow focus. It is surprising what insights can be gained when you look at your work from a totally different perspective.
AMIE KAMANDA: I am a postgraduate researcher in Demography. My research examines the demographic consequences of the Sierra Leone civil war, 1991-2002. I have a background in history, development studies and demography. As such, I epitomise the multi-disciplinary approach promoted by the Global South Forum! My research interests include conflict and development, forced migration, as well as population change at the micro level. I am enthusiastic about the GSF because it offers researchers an opportunity to engage in issues specifically relating to the Global South through a multiplicity of avenues including seminars, publications and film nights.
ANGELOS KATSARIS: I am a postgraduate researcher in the Politics and International Relations Department at the University of Southampton. My research is on the governance of climate change in the Mediterranean region with a specific focus on the South (Middle East and North Africa). Interaction in regional and international institutions offer various opportunities to South Mediterranean countries to promote their interests in funding, technical assistance and technology transfer and capacity development of their institutional framework. GSF is a genuine interdisciplinary initiative which accommodates many of the aspects of my PhD research and establishes a link with my personal interests for the climate, development and capacity problems in the South. GSF activities such as conferences, bulletin involvement, film night and publications have an added value in my career as a scientist and promote a hub of interaction and co-operation among early career researchers with a specific focus in the South.
MAMUSU KAMANDA I am a postgraduate researcher in the Division of Social Statistics and Demography. My research is an investigation into primary and secondary school attendance among children of official school age in West Africa. Using the United Nations framework of Education for All, my research aims to map the patterns of school participation as well as to deduce the contextual factors which determine educational participation.Given the interdisciplinary nature of my research, the GSF initiative was an instant appeal to me. It offers an added value to student life at the University through its academic and social activities (monthly presentations, quarterly bulletin, workshops, film nights, summer barbeques) which promise to engage and broaden the experience of all students, not least postgraduate students.
JULIA PELLE: I am a lecturer in Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, UK. I am currently teaching on “Culture, Ethnicity Race and Mental Health” across a variety of undergraduate, postgraduate and post qualifying health and social care programmes. I have held mental health nursing posts in acute in-patient mental health, working in a number of culturally diverse settings. Presently, I am completing my PhD which explores the experiences of carers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities who care for relatives with enduring mental health problems in the UK.
SALMA HEGGA: I am a PhD student in Geography and Environment. My research investigates the factors related to Disaster Risk Management particularly exploring flood preparedness and the role of social capital for flood risk management in Tanzania. The study intends to bridge the gap between hazard theories, social capital theories, psychological factors and socio-economic models to explain households’ protective behaviour. I am an interdisciplinary researcher in environmental changes with particular interest in natural hazards, rural societies, livelihoods, poverty and development, and disaster risk management in East Africa. I believe my participation in the GSF will significantly broaden and transform my knowledge and skills in undertaking research in human dimensions of environmental challenges in the developing world.
SYLVIA SZABO: I am a postgraduate researcher in Social Statistics and Demography. My research interests include issues relating to population growth/population dynamics, urbanization, natural resources, development aid, and the politics of global governance. Previously (2006-2011), I was an employee of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a Geneva based international financing institution.I am excited to be part of the GSF because it offers a unique opportunity for researchers and practitioners to share knowledge and contribute to the debate on key challenges and opportunities in global development. This is even more important as we are approaching the 2015 MDG deadline!