Paperboat was established in 2012 bringing together a team of experienced practitioners from the community, voluntary and legal sectors to offer tailored professional guidance.
Meg Aubrey, Director
Meg has a strong background in community based practice, she has been working in the voluntary sector over the past 15 years, specialising in community arts and education. As an Independent Assessor and Evaluator, Meg undertakes a wide range of work for grant giving organisations and publicly funded projects. Her clients include: BBC Children in Need, the Department of Health, the European Union’s Lifelong Learning Programme, Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company, CoolTan Arts and International Alert. Meg’s work involves establishing robust monitoring and evaluation systems specialising in user led and participatory tools. Meg also undertakes detailed and comprehensive assessments of grant applications and funded projects and is an experienced fundraiser. Meg is a Special Expert for the European Union’s community programmes in the fields of education, arts and culture, youth and citizenship. She is a qualified Teacher and has trained in Participatory Appraisal Techniques with Northumbria University. Meg holds a Social Science degree from the University of Newcastle, PGCE and MA in Development Education from the Institute of Education.
Frances Brodrick, Director
Frances is a women’s movement building specialist. She has expertise in supporting grassroots women’s organising and exploring how to work in global solidarity. She has delivered research projects and facilitated
workshops on women’s involvement in peace-building, women’s participation and leadership, feminist approaches to women’s economic empowerment, gendered dimensions of adolescent mental health, responding to gender-based violence. She is a member of the Gender and Development Network
Group and Healing Solidarity Collective.
Frances has 15 years experience delivering support services to women who have experienced violence. Prior to working with Paperboat, she was Director of Services at Eaves, where she managed schemes such as the
Poppy Project for trafficked women, and other services for women who had experienced violence and exploitation. She worked closely with UK Government to shape policy and the Home Office commissioned her to develop service standards for supporting victims of trafficking. Frances speaks Arabic and has spent time living and working in the Middle East and North Africa. She is also a yoga teacher, storyteller and founder of WildWood Sisters, running nature based programmes for women and girls.
Frances is a women’s movement building specialist. She has expertise in supporting grassroots women’s organising and exploring how to work in global solidarity. She has delivered research projects and facilitated
workshops on women’s involvement in peace-building, women’s participation and leadership, feminist approaches to women’s economic empowerment, gendered dimensions of adolescent mental health, responding to gender-based violence. She is a member of the Gender and Development Network
Group and Healing Solidarity Collective.
Frances has 15 years experience delivering support services to women who have experienced violence. Prior to working with Paperboat, she was Director of Services at Eaves, where she managed schemes such as the
Poppy Project for trafficked women, and other services for women who had experienced violence and exploitation. She worked closely with UK Government to shape policy and the Home Office commissioned her to develop service standards for supporting victims of trafficking. Frances speaks Arabic and has spent time living and working in the Middle East and North Africa. She is also a yoga teacher, storyteller and founder of WildWood Sisters, running nature based programmes for women and girls.
Rosie Aubrey, Director
Rosie has over 20 years experience in the research and implementation of peace building programmes in Europe and internationally. Rosie has worked with the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace, International Alert, Phaphama Initiatives, Y-Care International, Development Initiatives and the Alternatives to Violence Programme, supporting their work on peace and development. Her research work is underpinned by an interest in the connections between education, peace and wellbeing, with a particular focus on respecting young people as agents of change. She is an experienced researcher leading on our independent evaluation work taking the lead on paperboat’s evaluation and research projects. She has considerable experience of outreach work and training working with conflict affected and hard to reach groups and has a strong track record at engaging vulnerable groups. She is co-author of Dialogue in Conflict Transformation: A Journey Towards Understanding and Humanisation (Lesley Lelourec and Grainne O’Keefe (eds.) Ireland and Victims: Confronting the Past, Forging the Future, Peter Lang, 2012), and Teaching Peace, Building Resilience (International Alert, 2016). Rosie holds a Political Science Degree from the University of Liverpool and MA in Conflict Resolution from the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford and is a member of the OSCE's Mediation and Dialogue Expert Roster.
Rosie has over 20 years experience in the research and implementation of peace building programmes in Europe and internationally. Rosie has worked with the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace, International Alert, Phaphama Initiatives, Y-Care International, Development Initiatives and the Alternatives to Violence Programme, supporting their work on peace and development. Her research work is underpinned by an interest in the connections between education, peace and wellbeing, with a particular focus on respecting young people as agents of change. She is an experienced researcher leading on our independent evaluation work taking the lead on paperboat’s evaluation and research projects. She has considerable experience of outreach work and training working with conflict affected and hard to reach groups and has a strong track record at engaging vulnerable groups. She is co-author of Dialogue in Conflict Transformation: A Journey Towards Understanding and Humanisation (Lesley Lelourec and Grainne O’Keefe (eds.) Ireland and Victims: Confronting the Past, Forging the Future, Peter Lang, 2012), and Teaching Peace, Building Resilience (International Alert, 2016). Rosie holds a Political Science Degree from the University of Liverpool and MA in Conflict Resolution from the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford and is a member of the OSCE's Mediation and Dialogue Expert Roster.
Dima Al Bashar, Associate
Dima is a humanitarian professional with over ten years of experience in Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Humanitarian Responses, Development and Peacebuilding Programmes. She has a strong background in multi-sectoral humanitarian response in different contexts inside Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. She has participated in over 65 MERL assignments in different capacities and contexts, with different actors including, UN Women, World Bank, CGAP, Search for Common Ground, International Alert, CARE International, World Vision, Norwegian Church Aid, the British Council, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs among others. Dima is the Founding Director of Nexus for Research and Consulting, and a founding member of the Syrian Women's Network. Her expertise lies in monitoring, evaluation and qualitative research; peacebuilding, conflict, and youth studies; and gender and women's financial inclusion. Through her work, Dima has spearheaded several initiatives that have made a real impact on the humanitarian sector and she is committed to making a positive impact to improving the lives of communities affected by conflicts across the world.
Dima is a humanitarian professional with over ten years of experience in Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Humanitarian Responses, Development and Peacebuilding Programmes. She has a strong background in multi-sectoral humanitarian response in different contexts inside Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. She has participated in over 65 MERL assignments in different capacities and contexts, with different actors including, UN Women, World Bank, CGAP, Search for Common Ground, International Alert, CARE International, World Vision, Norwegian Church Aid, the British Council, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs among others. Dima is the Founding Director of Nexus for Research and Consulting, and a founding member of the Syrian Women's Network. Her expertise lies in monitoring, evaluation and qualitative research; peacebuilding, conflict, and youth studies; and gender and women's financial inclusion. Through her work, Dima has spearheaded several initiatives that have made a real impact on the humanitarian sector and she is committed to making a positive impact to improving the lives of communities affected by conflicts across the world.
Rouguiatou Diallo, Associate
Rouguiatou is a young activist that defends and promotes the rights of women and children. She started her career journey as activist at the age of 15 when she joined a West African regional youth network called Movement African des Enfants et Jeunes Travaileurs (MAEJT). In 2019, she founded her own organisation called Action pour les Droit des Enfant et dela Protection de l’Environment (ADEPE) to contribute to ongoing efforts to address child protection and environmental problems in Guinea. In 2020 she won the prestigious Child 10 award and in 2022, she was voted vice president of Defence for Children International, African region. Rouguiatou Diallo has gained wealth of experience in children and women’s rights and youth movement building to address national, cross border and regional issues particularly affecting women and children. Rougi's areas of expertise lies in child protection and prevention of child exploitation with particular insight in prevention and response to cross border trafficking and promotion of female youth leadership.
Rouguiatou is a young activist that defends and promotes the rights of women and children. She started her career journey as activist at the age of 15 when she joined a West African regional youth network called Movement African des Enfants et Jeunes Travaileurs (MAEJT). In 2019, she founded her own organisation called Action pour les Droit des Enfant et dela Protection de l’Environment (ADEPE) to contribute to ongoing efforts to address child protection and environmental problems in Guinea. In 2020 she won the prestigious Child 10 award and in 2022, she was voted vice president of Defence for Children International, African region. Rouguiatou Diallo has gained wealth of experience in children and women’s rights and youth movement building to address national, cross border and regional issues particularly affecting women and children. Rougi's areas of expertise lies in child protection and prevention of child exploitation with particular insight in prevention and response to cross border trafficking and promotion of female youth leadership.
Marie Francoise Umutoni, Associate
Marie is a gender specialist and has extensive experience working with NGOs and development partners operating in Rwanda and is an expert in designing and conducting gender sensitive qualitative work. She has developed qualitative research tools, conducted interviews, FGDs and participatory workshops, supervised field work and analyzed research results. She has led the informative work for the Gender and Adolescents Global Evidence (GAGE) project funded by DFID. She has participated in research design, implementation, analysis and reporting for the World Bank Study of Life History Trajectories of VUP Beneficiaries and Qualitative Research Study in the Framework of the Rwanda Poverty Assessment and in qualitative research design, implementation and supervision, analysis and reporting and the Gender Equity Assessment of the Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme for the Rwanda Local Administrative Entities Development Authority. Marie has extensive contextual knowledge of the Great Lakes Region and has language skills in English, Kinyarwanda, Russian, French and Swahili. Marie has a Master's degree in Sociology from Kuban State University in Krasnodar, Russia.
Marie is a gender specialist and has extensive experience working with NGOs and development partners operating in Rwanda and is an expert in designing and conducting gender sensitive qualitative work. She has developed qualitative research tools, conducted interviews, FGDs and participatory workshops, supervised field work and analyzed research results. She has led the informative work for the Gender and Adolescents Global Evidence (GAGE) project funded by DFID. She has participated in research design, implementation, analysis and reporting for the World Bank Study of Life History Trajectories of VUP Beneficiaries and Qualitative Research Study in the Framework of the Rwanda Poverty Assessment and in qualitative research design, implementation and supervision, analysis and reporting and the Gender Equity Assessment of the Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme for the Rwanda Local Administrative Entities Development Authority. Marie has extensive contextual knowledge of the Great Lakes Region and has language skills in English, Kinyarwanda, Russian, French and Swahili. Marie has a Master's degree in Sociology from Kuban State University in Krasnodar, Russia.
Della Duncan, Associate
Della Duncan is an economic advisor, teacher, and broadcast journalist. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelors in International Relations and Sociology, Della worked in the fields of sexual violence prevention and intervention, higher education, leadership studies, and international development. Della also holds a Masters in Economics for Transition with Distinction from Schumacher College and a graduate certificate in Authentic Leadership from Naropa University. Della currently convenes and facilitates courses on Economics for Transition, Gross National Happiness, and Right Livelihood at Schumacher College, facilitates Work that Reconnects workshops and retreats and is a co-producer for Upstream, a podcast exploring New Economics stories and initiatives around the world.
Della Duncan is an economic advisor, teacher, and broadcast journalist. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelors in International Relations and Sociology, Della worked in the fields of sexual violence prevention and intervention, higher education, leadership studies, and international development. Della also holds a Masters in Economics for Transition with Distinction from Schumacher College and a graduate certificate in Authentic Leadership from Naropa University. Della currently convenes and facilitates courses on Economics for Transition, Gross National Happiness, and Right Livelihood at Schumacher College, facilitates Work that Reconnects workshops and retreats and is a co-producer for Upstream, a podcast exploring New Economics stories and initiatives around the world.
Kate Aubrey-Johnson, Associate
Kate combines her consultancy work with her role as Director of the Youth Justice Legal Centre. She is a youth justice specialist barrister at Garden Court Chambers and having qualified in 2001 has represented many children and adults in criminal and prison law cases. Kate has delivered training programmes for Just for Kids Law and the Prison Reform Trust and given expert evidence before the Joint Committee on Human Rights as well as providing expertise on a number of national reviews and reports. Kate has an extensive knowledge of children’s rights law and also works as an SEN mediator. She is the author of Making Mediation Work For You: a practical handbook (LAG, June 2012). Lord Woolf, former Lord Chief Justice, describes her “excellent book” as “breaking new ground”. Kate worked as a youth worker and teacher in England, Kenya and Uganda before training as a barrister. She co-founded a small charity working in Uganda and is a board member for Little Crickets, a support group for deaf children and their families in West London, and she is also a trustee and board member for a number of organisations supporting and empowering children and young people.
John Kabia, Associate
John has 18 years’ programme experience in promoting human rights, peacebuilding and civil society capacity building across the world. John is a Program Officer for the Global Fund for Human Rights and has managed grant making portfolios to support the work of local human rights and social justice organisations in Africa and beyond. He has proven experience in conducting applied and policy-oriented research leading to the publication of several books and papers on human rights, security and peacebuilding in Africa. Previously, he was with the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace based in the UK, where he developed and facilitated peace and human rights training programs for victims and survivors of conflict and human rights abuses. John holds a PhD in conflict, security and development from the University of Bradford.