The year since our last IVEC conference has brought upheaval to many in our community. Armed conflicts grind on in several regions and spread in others, while polarization deepens in many societies. Norms and institutions that many of us view as central to our work, such as openness and cooperation across divisions between and within our countries, seem to be under extraordinary strain as force and coercion increasingly shape global affairs. For some of us, this uncertainty may feel new and disorienting; for others, it may be familiar but no less dismaying. In this two-hour session, held in partnership with Soliya, attendees will meet in small, internationally mixed groups with trained facilitators to reflect on how we are experiencing the world, how it affects our work, and how we might adapt or renew our programs in response.
All conference registrants are welcome to participate in this session. We encourage interested participants to log in to their Whova account and click the “Add to My Agenda” button for the Dialogue Activity so we know you plan to participate.
Maria Giangkampozidou is a facilitator and learning designer with over six years of experience working with people from different cultures and backgrounds. She enjoys creating spaces where people feel comfortable to share their ideas, listen to different perspectives and have meaningful conversations. Her approach combines curiosity, creativity and care, with a focus on making everyone feel included and heard. She believes that some of the most interesting ideas emerge when people come together and genuinely listen to each other.
Heba Mohamed
Heba Mohamed is an expert dialogue facilitator and a senior trainer with extensive experience in Virtual Exchange, Dialogue Facilitation, and facilitation development. Heba has worked with diverse groups of young people across the United States, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East through dialogue programs and initiatives offered by Soliya and Sharing Perspectives Foundation. Heba holds a PhD in Linguistics and her current research interests focus on the intersection of teaching and dialogue facilitation, exploring how dialogic approaches can enhance student learning and participation in higher education.
Diana Ionita
Diana Ionita is a cross-cultural communication specialist with an academic background in education and journalism. Driven by a passion for storytelling and dialogue, she has been part of Soliya since 2018, where she now works as an Expert Facilitator, Trainer and Coach. Besides this, she delivers trainings across and beyond Europe, focusing on digital transformation, design thinking, coaching and dialogue.
Alena Konečná
Alena Konečná is a Virtual Dialogue Trainer and Facilitator at Soliya. With over a decade of NGO experience, she has organised international youth initiatives, volunteering workcamps, training courses and eco-festivals centred on leadership and environmental awareness. As a freelancer, she designs and delivers training in confident and professional communication in English.
Oya Kermani
Oya Kermani is a Turkish Expert facilitator, living in Ankara, Türkiye. She started her facilitation journey at Soliya in 2018. She is currently the head of an NGO named ASSITEJ Türkiye (The Turkish branch of the international theatre for young audiences association). She studied International Relations and then Children's Theatre, and have worked many years as an interpreter.
Andy Pring
Andy Pring is a dialogue facilitator and creative-writing specialist with over 20 years of experience fostering interfaith and intercultural understanding. After co-founding his university's first Christian-Muslim dialogue group as a Theology undergraduate, he earned a Master's in Islamic Studies and went on to spend eight years in counter-radicalisation work in London. He has served as a virtual exchange facilitator with Soliya, and In 2024, he launched Creative Writing for Social Change, an initiative combining dialogue and storytelling to address issues such as Islamophobia, patriarchy, climate change, and democracy.
Eleonora Brugnoli
Eleonora Brugnoli is a Senior Project Manager with extensive experience in the management of European projects funded by the European Commission within the education field (Erasmus+). She is an expert Evaluator for the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), assessing Capacity Building proposals in Vocational Education and Training (CBVET) and contributing to ensure the quality of EU-funded initiatives for the 2026 call. She is also a Trainer, Coach, Fellow and Expert Facilitator at Soliya. Her work is driven by a passion for fostering inclusion, collaboration, and transformative learning across borders.
Adam King
Adam King has been involved with Soliya since 2016 as a senior facilitator, coach and in quality control. His passion for intercultural dialogue comes from his broad background in alternative dispute resolution. His passion for Soliya is rooted in his desire to create meaningful change in the world through understanding and meaningful dialogue. When he is not engaged with Soliya, Adam enjoys reading non-fiction books, hiking, and spending time with his family.
Ahmed Saed
Ahmed Saed is a Senior Program Officer at Soliya, where he coordinates and supports the management of Global Circles and contributes to the design and delivery of new virtual exchange programs. With more than six years of experience as Soliya staff and over ten years of involvement with the organization, he brings expertise in program coordination, facilitation, and training. Ahmed is fluent in Arabic and English, and speaks a little French and German. He is always looking to brush up his language skills over coffee or a drink.
Heather Harkess
Heather Harkess is a facilitator and dialogue practitioner with over 15 years of experience working across differences. As Director of Facilitation & Training at Soliya, she oversees the quality of facilitation in the Connect Program and leads the Facilitator Training and Community of Practice, supporting facilitators to navigate complex group dynamics in real time. She began her work with Soliya in 2011 and has since focused on creating spaces where people can engage with and learn through difference. Heather holds an MA in Violence, Conflict, and Development from SOAS and a BA in Sociology.
Rafael Tyszblat
Rafael Tyszblat is the Director of Innovation and Program Design at Soliya. Based in Paris, France, he is a consultant, program designer, mediator, facilitator and trainer in the fields of conflict resolution and crosscultural dialogue. For the past 15 years, he has been designing and leading dialogue programs across various lines of division globally or locally. He is trained in several schools of conflict resolution and his praxis combines Carl Rogers’ Person Centred Approach, emotional intelligence, the teachings of neurosciences, Transactional Analysis and Non-Violent Communication.
