Fatma Elzahra Elshhati

Fatma is a Delegate Speaker for the 2015 Peace and Security Plenary Session. Through OFID, she has also been involved in advocacy work and providing policy advice. Her background in Journalism and Communications has also encouraged her to become involved in the media sector in Libya. Libya has a history of tight media controls and censorship and a complete media blackout in 2011, followed by an opening up of the press after the fall of Gadhafi. She spoke about media trends at a conference in Geneva just before a counter-movement began in Libya. Today, attacks on journalists and activists are common and the situation is deteriorating. This year, Fatma presented a paper about media sponsorship and influence, looking at the tactics state and non-state actors use to direct public attention and drive opinion. Fatma is also actively involved in the refugee crisis; she is volunteering with an NGO to provide policy recommendations to governments on how to best address the crisis. They have raised funds and she will continue to work with refugees until the world wakes up.