Irene Ovonji-Odida, Ugandan (Chair) is a human rights lawyer and activist with 21 years’ experience in development work with marginalised groups in society such as women, pastoralists and persons living with HIV/AIDS. She has worked in the public sector in law reform and on public sector ethics for eight years and been an elected a legislator in the East Africa regional parliament for five years. Irene has been involved with ActionAid in Uganda since 2003, becoming national board Chair in 2005. She the convenor of the International Governance & Board Development Committee and was elected as International Board Chair in June 2009.
Karen Brown, British, (Vice-chair) is an independent adviser on media, education and communications. Formerly working with Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, director Television Corporation plc, Deputy Director of Programmes at Channel 4 and Managing Director of 4 Learning. She joined the ActionAid UK Board in 2003, became its Chair in 2004 and joined the Board of ActionAid International in the same year.
Patrick Dowling, Irish (Treasurer) has had a career mainly in banking and finance and been Finance Director of a number of public limited companies. Patrick was formerly Chair of the ActionAid Ireland Board from October 2002 and first joined the International Board in 2003. In December 2006, he resigned as Chair of the Board of ActionAid Ireland, but continued in his capacity as Treasurer on the ActionAid International Board until April 2007. Patrick rejoined the International Board as Treasurer in August 2008.
Mr. Poguri Chennaiah, Indian is a social activist, engaged with the rural poor, especially Dalits and agricultural workers, for nearly three decades. He has been instrumental in taking up the cause of agricultural labour through various campaigns for land rights. He has been instrumental in giving shape to a strong agricultural workers' union in Andhra Pradesh, Vyarusaya Vruthidarula Union, bringing together many activist groups and giving them the vision and direction to become social movements.
Cândido Grzybowski, Brazilian, is General Director of the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economical Analysis (IBASE), an internationally active non-governmental organisation in Brazil. He was involved in the creation of the Inter-American Agriculture and Democracy Network (RIAD) and the World Social Forum (WSF) in 2000, and civil society organisations’ response to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). He joined the ActionAid UK Board in 2001 and moved to the Board of ActionAid International in 2003.
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Zimbabwean, is the General Secretary of the World YWCA, which unites 25 million women and girls in 125 countries. She has over ten years of experience with the United Nations, where she served as Regional Director for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Eastern Africa. She has also served as a human rights officer with UNICEF as well as national child rights advisor in Liberia and Zimbabwe. Mrs. Gumbonzvanda is active within the women’s rights movement and is a member of organizations such as WiLDAF, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, the World Conference on Religion and Peace and the International Women Leaders on Global Security. She joined the board of ActionAid International in September 2008 as an Independent Trustee.
Alexandra Mitsotaki, Greek, studied Political Sciences at the Institute of Political Sciences in Paris, and went on to study Development Law before working for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She is a founder of ActionAid Hellas, established in 1998, and joined the Board of ActionAid International in 2003.
Matteo Passini, Italian, is Chief Executive Officer of BIT spa which specialises in local financing of cooperative credit and food farming banks. He is also a lecturer in Ethical Finance at the University of Bologna. Matteo obtained an economics degree from Univeristy Ca’ Foscari, Venice and went on to work for the Banca Commerciale Italiana. He then moved to Banca Etica taking up successive posts in the organisation as General Director, Banca Popolare Etica - Padova, Director - Milan, CEO and then Manager of Alliances & Strategic Partnerships. Since 2000 he has been a Board member of AICCON. Matteo was elected as Chair of the Actionaid Italy Board in January 2007, and joined the Board of ActionAid International in January of the same year.
Sriprapha Petcharamesree, Thai, has been a lecturer on the Human Rights Studies Programme at Mahidol University, Thailand since 1996, teaching Human Rights in Asia and Human Rights in International Relations. She is also a visiting lecturer at the Southeast Asian Studies Programme at Thammasat University. Sriprapha has also worked with the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok and with UNICEF in development and humanitarian areas. She has been a member and advisor on public hearings relating to Thailand’s draft National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Bill, and sits on various of the commission’s committees. She joined the Board of ActionAid International in 2005 as an independent trustee.