Editorial Team

A member of the United Nations community, Samir Bennis is a political analyst. He received a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Provence in France. He also holds a Master’s degrees in political science from the University of Toulouse I, a Master’s degree in Iberian studies from the University of Toulouse II, a Master’s degree in diplomatic studies from Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Paris and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish studies from the University of Fez. He pursued a post-doctoral research at the Diplomatic School of Madrid. His areas of academic interest include, relations between Morocco and Spain and between the Muslim world and the West, as well as the global politics of oil. He has published articles in a variety of languages, and authored Les Relations Politiques. Economiques et Culturelles Entre le Maroc et l’Espagne: 1956-2005, which was published in French in 2008. He is the co-founder of Morocco World News. He lives in New York.

Contact samir.bennis@moroccoworldnews.com

 

Adnane Bennis is a national of Morocco, obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer and Information Science from East west University in Chicago. He also holds an associate Degree in English literature from the University of Fez. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in international diplomacy from Norwich University.

Mr. Bennis has worked with international companies including IBM and Motorola as a software testing engineer. Adnane’s commitment to international affairs, international public policy, human rights advocacy and diplomacy provided him with experience and determination for positive, sustainable change.  Currently, he volunteers with OPPF Peace foundation as a head of communication and second alternate UN Representative.

Contact adnane.bennis@moroccoworldnews.com

 

Is a political analyst, and currently a Research Scholar in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies at Columbia University.He received his Ph.D. in Political Sociology and Political Science from the University of Paris (Denis-Diderot Paris VII) and Columbia University, and also holds advanced degrees in English Literature, Geopolitics, and Electoral Law/Administration of Elections. He has written and lectured widely on issues of governance and democratization, conflict resolution, development, political ecology and migration, with a special focus on the African continent. His latest publications include A Season of Migration to the West: The Arab Diaspora in the United States, in the Encyclopedia of Global Human Migration, and Darfur: The Periphery of the Periphery, in The Handbook of World-Systems Analysis: Theory & Research.

 

A physicist by training, Ahmad’s work experience has been with the United Nations and International Affairs. He has eight years under his belt as a political advisor in New York, over which he has acquired experience in a wide range of diplomatic and political affairs, most notably in connection with the work of the Security Council. His current research interest focuses on the “responsibility to protect” as an emerging global principle. But as a Syrian-American, he has been equally active in the Arab-American and American Muslim community in New York. Having recently become a father, Ahmad’s passion is to work towards a safe, secure and equitable world for this and future generations.

 

Graduated from the National Institute of Telecommunications in Paris (2003) Latifa took over International key positions within market leaders in the Telecommunication industry.

She was entrusted with the responsibility to manage Risk Assessments and Business Development in the Telco Business For major European groups.
Recently, she launched innovative and successful projects using information system tools and web engineering methods to improve business intelligence and communication strategy for public and private sector. She’s the Founder of AMEWA, Alliance of Mediterranean Women Abroad, an NGO that promotes women Leadership in the Mediterranean region, by ambitious training programs in collaboration with partners as AMEWA SAHARA, in the Southern Region of Morocco

 

Leila Hanafi is an international lawyer, currently working as Staff Attorney and Programs Manager at the World Justice Project, in Washington, D.C. She previously held a number of positions at the World Bank. As one of the Bank’s youngest professionals, Leila worked on operations, finance, poverty reduction, and legal reform. She won the highly competitive World Bank Middle East and North Africa Innovation Fund Prize, through which she led a legal empowerment initiative for young Moroccan women. Leila serves on the Board of several organizations in the field of international law and development, including the United Nations Association YPIC and the Moroccan-American Legal Empowerment Network. She has also published several academic papers and articles on the legal systems of North Africa, which have been profiled in national and international media outlets. A strong advocate of the rule of law throughout her life, Leila has organized and presented at several international forums and at high-level World Bank and United Nations meetings, advocating for young people’s legal rights and representing the young face of development. She is an honors graduate of American University’s School of International Service and Georgetown University, and currently a doctoral candidate in international law.

 

Benjamin Villanti – Editor

Benjamin Villanti has been part of the United Nations community in New York since 2005, working in both public information and political analysis. He has a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from George Washington University. Along with his experience at the UN, Ben possesses a strong interest in US public policy, the Middle East and Latin America as well as history, journalism and film. He speaks fluent Spanish having lived in Madrid, Spain and has studied Arabic. In addition, he is an avid fan of the New York Giants and Knicks.

 

Lisa Ebba Laskaridis, a national of Sweden and Greece, is the Executive Coordinator and United Nations Representative of Olof Palme Peace Foundation, a New York-based, UN- affiliated non-profit organisation that focuses on women’s rights in developing nations. She has previosuly worked with the UN Department of Public Information at UN Headquarters in New York.
Lisa obtained her Honors Degree in Political Science at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia. In lieu of her degree she conducted a comprehensive field study on infrastructure development and the importance of civil participation in international decision-making. Her honors thesis examined the multilateral intricate relations between the European Union and the United Nations, analyzing and comparing the institutions through the theoretical framework of political realism.
She is fluent in Greek, Swedish and English.

Contact lisa.laskaridis@moroccoworldnews.com

 

Sharanjit Deol graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Business from Northern Illinois University. She has worked in the I.T. industry for 10 years with AT&T as a Senior QA Lead and US Cellular as a Systems Test Strategist; and then providing Consulting Services independently.