Who we are | Protection Approaches

Andy Fearn

Co-Executive Director, Head of Learning and Outreach

Andy runs our Learning and Outreach programme. Working with schools, young people, marginalised communities, decision shapers in media and culture, and the wider UK public, the programme seeks to increase understandings of the processes that lead to prejudice and identity-based violence, and to strengthen individual senses of responsibility. Andy also manages the monitoring and evaluation of Protection Approaches' work.

Andy's experience includes working with the UK Home Office to lead on building community cohesion in an area of East London considered to be one of the most diverse places in the world. He has designed and managed nationwide anti-prejudice and peace-building programmes in Rwanda funded by DfID and SIDA, designed and managed a school based anti-prejudice and genocide education programme for genocide prevention NGO the Aegis Trust, and led on the development of education materials at Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

Dilia Zwart

Education Officer

Dilia leads the delivery of our education programme working with schools to promote positive school cultures that foster tolerance and build resilience to divisive narratives. As the co-founder of the Mostar Summer Youth Programme, an educational project in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dilia has practical experience in developing educational programming that promotes active citizenship and critical thinking about social issues. Before joining Protection Approaches Dilia worked on the Peace Programme of the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) in Brussels where she authored the major report ‘Peace Education: Making the Case’.

Dilia interned at the European Parliament and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Dilia has a BA in Social Anthropology from Harvard University where her thesis research on civic participation in Bosnia-Herzegovina won two awards. She received an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Dr Kate Ferguson

Co-Executive Director, Head of Research and Policy

Kate is responsible for our Political Engagement Strategy, which includes developing working groups and networks of decision makers in the UK and abroad. She leads our Research and Policy programme, undertaking, commissioning, and coordinating research, providing technical advice to policy stakeholders, and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange.

Kate is an experienced policy analyst and researcher. Before founding Protection Approaches, she worked as as foreign policy consultant and political advisor in mass atrocity prevention in the UK, Rwanda, and Ukraine. As a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge for the Partnership for Conflict, Crime and Security Research she undertook a wide-ranging intersectional study into the efficacy of communications based approaches to preventing identity-based violence and extremism. Kate received her PhD in 2016 from the University of East Anglia on devolved structures of modern mass atrocities and has an MPhil in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Oxford. Kate was made inaugural Chair of Policy at the European Centre of the Responsibility to Protect in 2018 where she is also a Visiting Fellow. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of East Anglia.

Nasyah Bandoh

Programmes Assistant

Nasyah is our Programmes Assistant and is responsible for supporting both the policy and education teams in the delivery of their various projects. Joining us in late 2019, Nasyah contributed to our 2019 Manifesto Review and continues to assist with the facilitation of our workshops in schools and in communities.

Receiving her BA in Modern History and Politics from Royal Holloway, University of London, Nasyah’s previous experience as a Policy Assistant at the British Youth Council has allowed her to actively engage in the process to elevate the voices of groups often marginalised by society. Nasyah also volunteers with the Black Cultural Archives based in Brixton and the student-led social organisation #WOKEWeekly.

Szymon Glowacki

Outreach Officer

Szymon leads on our youth outreach work engaging with young people in London to explore, highlight, and build networks to find innovative local solutions to their experiences of marginalisation, prejudice and discrimination.

Szymon’s previous experience includes working as a teacher and learning mentor in both primary and secondary school as well as working with Roma and Gypsy communities as an Aspiration Project worker and Mental Health Advocate. Szymon also worked for Salford University taking part in a pilot project “Supporting Roma Voice”. Szymon earned his MA in teaching and journalism in Poland.