RISE TO PEACEThe way of the word over the way of the gun
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U.S. nonprofit · People across borders
Rise to Peace connects people across borders to research conflict, explain what is changing, learn from one another, and turn knowledge into practical work for peace.
The way of the word over the way of the gun.
Our Story
War shaped where Ahmad “Shah” Mohibi began. It did not decide what he would build. Raised in Afghanistan and later becoming an American, Shah carried lessons from conflict, education, public service, and crisis work into a platform where people could confront violence through research, dialogue, and opportunity.
The way of the word over the way of the gun.
Find your place
The Fellowship is a placement. Research is reviewed before it is published. Advising is a defined task.
The work
We research and publish, collect and analyze data, teach, speak, mentor, convene, use modern tools, and work on projects so useful knowledge can travel.
Explore the work →
Media & public conversation
Members bring research, lived experience, and regional perspective into interviews, events, classrooms, and public conversations.
Read the analysis →Our Story
A personal beginning became a platform for people across borders.
War shaped where Ahmad “Shah” Mohibi began. It did not decide what he would build.
Raised in Afghanistan and later becoming an American, Shah drew on education, public service, national-security work, and crisis response to create something he once needed himself: a place where young people and professionals could research, write, learn from one another, and confront violence through ideas rather than violence itself.
Ten years later, Rise to Peace is a network of researchers, fellows, students, practitioners, and experts working across countries on conflict, terrorism, peacebuilding, humanitarian issues, media, data, and projects rooted in their communities.
The way of the word over the way of the gun.
John SimpsonSenior LecturerOther
Shannon KernStudentUnited States
Lola McEwenResearch FellowUnited States
Gianna FurnariIntern/CampaignUnited States
Thalia GustinaResearcherUnited States
Raphaella Alioto GraceBA Justice and Peace StudiesUnited States
maroua moujahidstudent researcherMorocco
Ibrahim CastroMSc International StudiesUnited States
Jeremy RabbaniUnited States
Benita AlabedeStudentNigeria
BUSHRA FATIMAMBA- MarketingIndia
Aiden CarltonInternational StudiesUnited States
Zineb El KhaldiBA in International StudiesMorocco
Karabo SebogodiUnited Kingdom
Norma LorenzoResearch AssociateGermany
Justice OmorogbeAI ProfessionalNigeria
Nizerrat Gauthier AsmatEconomics and FinanceSpain
Iheb KhachaiQatar
Rana Muhammad Bilal KhanReporterSpain
Abdullah Bin AbbasLLMUnited Kingdom
Aliza KhalilM.phil International RelationsPakistan
Kyle WorsleyUnited States
Anna LedaPhD CandidatePoland
Ahmed Menesepolitical; advisorEgypt
Anna SoldiniProject coordinatorSwitzerland
Ashley DubeBA Hons International RelationsZimbabwe
Sabine LabatGermany
Amber AntonyUnited States
Thaddeus RosnerUnited States
Aaron MedlenSpain
Shelby ColemanBA Political ScienceUnited States
Margaux LaPorteBA International RelationsUnited States
Sadaf RaoResearch InternPakistan
RISHABH PRASADRESEARCHERIndia
Douglas MedinaU.S. EnvoyUnited States
Peter Oliver SussmanResearch Associate & AnalystUnited States
Amyelle NoppeneyPolicy AnalystFrance
Omolola Brown-OdigieDoctoral ResearcherUnited Kingdom
Lucas SastreBA Political Science, MA Latin American and Caribbean StudiesUnited States
Nawras HamanooriGraduate Research AssistantUnited States
Shane RyanBA Political ScienceUnited States
Steven OchoaResearcherUnited States
Vienne AbrahamianResearch and Policy LiaisonUnited States
Souheil MouhajirCo-Director of the Africa ProgramUnited States
Martin BrownUnited States
Zalán AlkonyiPhD in HistoryHungary
Noura GadallahMA in political scienceEgypt
Raquel RomeroBA Public AdministrationUnited States
Annabelle GadelWriting and Publication CoordinatorCanada
Radu CheoseaMSc CybercrimeUnited Kingdom
KAMRAN SALEEMAML/CFT investigatorPakistan
Jack LindstromMaster of International AffairsUnited States
Zara MansoorPakistan
Sujoud AwaisResearcher and editorMalaysia
Priyanka PatilGeopolitical Intelligence AnalystIndia
Abdur RehmanPhD / Peace and Counter TerrorismPakistan
Abdul BasitResearcherGermany
Denis BleilBA Global Affairs with a concentration in Human SecuritySouth Korea
Gail QuennevilleAdvsiorUnited States
Mohammad Urva RindBS Defence and strategic studiesPakistan
Furqan KhanMA International RelationsUnited States
Noah Marks-DelgadoBSc Security and Crime ScienceUnited Kingdom
Lauren McGuireDoctor of Social WorkUnited States
Abdifatah AbdiBachelor's Degree, LawSomalia
Jakub SzydelskiCommunication specialistPoland
Dr Victoria GregsonSenior Lecturer and Course Director MSc Counter TerrorismUnited Kingdom
Sandra Wong CabelloMA in Public Management, MA in International Security and Specialization in International MigrationMexico
Adrian BurgosPursuing an MA in International AffairsUnited States
Grace WendoPrograms LeadKenya
Hanna Bahia RousselGeopolitical Risk AnalystFrance
Deon FosterJamaica
Dr Waseem DinPolicy Analyst, ResearcherPakistan
Alexander AurinSecurityUnited States
Chris Mensah-AnkrahResearcherGhana
Tanvi AggarwalBA Political ScienceIndia
Umar bin IlyasBA. LLBPakistan
Jaida HeidkampMaster's of Public and International Affairs, Concentration in Security and IntelligenceUnited States
Vanshika MishraMA International RelationsIndia
Michael LeoProgram DirectorTanzania
Huma RafiqBS international RelationsPakistan
Rumeau Philippe ÁKosSecurity Studies StudentHungary
Thalia BlanksonResearcherUnited States
Aammarah MahomedInternational RelationsSouth Africa
Simon CoddingtonSecurity Lane Performance ManagerUnited Kingdom
Fabrizio Gabriel del Piélago MerinoCEOSpain
Ehtasham AliResearch AssistantPakistan
Hussain Bux KorejoDeputy Director ProgramsPakistan
Ainesh DeyPostgraduate StudentIndia
Ahmad Shoaib NooriProject ManagementAfghanistan
Syeda Sawera HashmiPolicy Analyst, Governance and Public PolicyPakistan
Farhan AliResearch fellow/Counter —TerrorismPakistan
Yiyang LiuBoard DirectorChina
Vishwajeet SinghStudentIndia
Emmanuel FatadeFounderNigeria
Vani WarwalUndergraduate StudentIndia
Tamanna SharmaStudentIndia
Umaima AliPhD StudentPakistan
Tareq Hamid Al-FahdawiDirector of the Centre for Strategic StudiesIraq
Timothy McGillUnited States
Zujajah ShaikhStudentJapan
Chandara SambanNews Correstpondent / Junior ResearcherCambodia
Alaa HadidGermany
Salwa SabahatMemberPakistan
Benjamin BaruchResearch InternUnited States
Matthew Mason-RogersPolitics & International Relations GraduateUnited Kingdom
Harriet BerryStudent - MSc Crisis and Security ManagementOther
Solomon NaftaliyevInternational security, war & conflict, Middle East и Indo-PacificIsrael
Velana ValdezStudent - B.A. Political Science and PhilosophyUnited States
Lamin SannehGraduate Student ResearcherUnited States
Mildred MirandaDoctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) — Successfully DefendedUnited States
Mahmmoud NasserWriter and researcher on Global South affairsEgypt
Mariana Seidner IsaacsResearcherColombia
Mehtab YaqoobResearch analystPakistan
Viviana RizzoEarly-career feminist peace and conflict researcherItaly
Gregory SzczepanskiVice-PresidentUnited Kingdom
Ahmad Shah MohibiFounderUnited States
Michael SherwinFounding Board MemberUnited States
What the work has become
Six connected areas explain what the organization does. The year-by-year archive shows the documented work behind them.
Practical work, mentorship and international collaboration help participants build experience, skills, professional relationships and career pathways.
See how it works →02Evidence, education and lived experience become accessible research, publications, training and public knowledge.
See how it works →03Locally informed ideas move from an identified need toward research, design, partnerships and practical delivery when resources are secured.
See how it works →04Data and AI-assisted workflows expand human capability while people remain responsible for verification, context and judgment.
See how it works →05Conferences, universities and media bring evidence and different perspectives into wider conversations across borders.
See how it works →06Research and practical work examine conflict while supporting prevention, peacebuilding and communities working to withstand and recover from crisis.
See how it works →Research & Analysis
War, armed conflict, security, geopolitical risk, and changing threats.
Explore → 02Movements, recruitment, prevention, radicalization, and response.
Explore → 03Peacebuilding, resilience, dialogue, communities, and what reduces violence.
Explore → 04Diplomacy, governance, policy, rights, and international affairs.
Explore → 05Cyber issues, misinformation, media, emerging technology, and AI.
Explore → 06Education, access, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and development.
Explore →Find your place
The Fellowship is a placement. Research is reviewed before it is published. Advising is a defined task.
Active Intelligence
Active Intelligence organizes open-source reporting into a searchable, source-linked record. Automated tools help surface developments; people verify the evidence and add context.
Open Active Intelligence → Active Intelligence DatabaseRecent work
Editorial independence: Signed articles reflect the research and analysis of their authors. Rise to Peace does not endorse political candidates or parties.
Explore all publicationsBrowse articles, reports, and research briefs →Take part
Join the work, collaborate with us, or help keep it open to others.