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Shamil Idriss

Chief Executive OfficerSearch for Common Ground

Biography

Shamil believes that dealing with conflict constructively is the key to addressing all other needs and challenges. He leads Search for Common Ground, a global peacebuilding organization that employs over 1,000 staff in 30 countries working to prevent violence and build sustainable peace.

In his prior role as CEO of Soliya, he led a campaign of public- and private-sector leaders to create the field of "virtual exchange", which resulted in the creation of dedicated virtual exchange funds by the U.S. Government and the European Union that have allocated over $50million to the growth of this emergent field.

Previously, Shamil was appointed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to serve as the staff-director to a High-Level Group of 20 former Heads of State and Foreign Ministers, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and scholars tasked by the SG Annan to produce a plan to reverse growing cross-cultural polarization and extremism.

Regional Focus

Eastern and Southern Africa, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, North America, Southeast Asia, West and Central Africa