Allies in Courage
Faces of Endorsements
Dr. Shakardokht Jafari
A pioneering medical physicist and recipient of the 2024 Innovator of the Year award, proudly supports the Friends of Sima Samar initiative to help bring this vital story to the world. Her invention of the micro-silica-bead DOSEmapper™ system delivers millimetre-accurate radiation-dose mapping that is transforming radiotherapy outcomes and underpinned the accolade she received at the Dynamic Awards. Equally groundbreaking is her Bridge initiative—Education Bridge for Afghanistan—which now streams internationally accredited lessons to thousands of Afghan girls barred from secondary school, opening recognised pathways to university study.
Sally Armstrong
Sally Armstrong is a renowned human rights activist, journalist, and award-winning author whose work has spotlighted women and girls in conflict zones from Afghanistan to the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. A four-time recipient of the Amnesty International Canada Media Award, she has also been honored with the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award (2024), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Journalism Foundation, and the Gold Award for Investigative Journalism for her reporting on the Yazidis.
Sally was the 2019 Massey Lecturer for Power Shift: The Longest Revolution and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. She has authored several acclaimed books, including Veiled Threat, Ascent of Women, Rebel, and Outspoken, co-written with Dr. Sima Samar. She serves on the Advisory Council of Human Rights Watch Canada and holds eleven honorary doctorates in recognition of her lifelong commitment to justice and women’s rights.
Payam Akhavan
Dr. Payam Akhavan is a world-renowned human rights lawyer and former UN prosecutor whose work has spanned the frontlines of justice—from the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia to Iran, Afghanistan, and beyond. A staunch defender of women’s rights, ethnic minorities, and persecuted communities, Dr. Akhavan’s life mission resonates deeply with the story of Dr. Sima Samar. As an Iranian-born advocate who has witnessed the consequences of state repression, Dr. Akhavan brings both legal expertise and moral clarity to the global fight for human dignity. He stands in solidarity with Dr. Samar’s lifelong struggle for gender equality, education, and justice for Afghanistan’s Hazara minority. His support of Friends of Sima Samar to produce the feature film Samar: A Voice Unbroken and the Ripples of Courage documentary amplifies the message that silence is complicity—and that the world must listen to those who risk everything to speak the truth.
Minky Worden
Minky Worden is a leading global advocate for human rights and Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, where she has spent over 25 years exposing injustice and building international pressure for reform. From pioneering media campaigns on political prisoners and gender-based violence to holding global sports bodies accountable for abuses, Minky’s work bridges activism, journalism, and diplomacy. She has long championed the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and has been a vocal supporter of Dr. Sima Samar’s courageous fight for justice. A professor at Columbia University and author of several acclaimed books, Minky brings strategic brilliance and moral clarity to the global struggle for dignity and human rights.
Shuja Jamal
Shuja Jamal is a lawyer, policy researcher and former senior Afghan civil servant. He is the author, with Professor William Maley, of The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan (Oxford University Press, 2023).
He is a trustee of the Australian Refugee Foundation and a member of the Advisory Committee of the University of New South Wales Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.
He was previously the head of policy, advocacy and communications at Jesuit Refugee Service Australia and a special advisor to the CEO of the Refugee Council of Australia.
Shuja has served as the director-general for international relations and regional cooperation at the Afghan National Security Council, where he helped manage Afghanistan’s security partnerships. He also served as director for peace and civilian protection and coordinated Afghanistan’s policy portfolio on international sanctions, including those of the UN Security Council.
Prior to his civil service work, he was a researcher for Human Rights Watch and worked as director for development at the American University of Afghanistan, helping to reopen the university after the devastating terrorist attack on campus in August 2016.
He is a Fulbright recipient. He has a master’s in public policy from Georgetown University and a juris doctor from the University of Melbourne Law School.
Friba Rezayee
Afghanistan’s first female Olympian (judo, Athens 2004), Friba Rezayee is the founder and executive director of Women Leaders of Tomorrow (WLOT), a Canada-based nonprofit that matches high-achieving Afghan girls with fully funded high-school and university scholarships across North America while mentoring them through its GOAL—Girls of Afghanistan Lead—leadership-through-sport program. Under her stewardship WLOT has already secured life-changing placements for scores of students at institutions in the United States and Canada, putting them on academic and athletic pathways that would otherwise be closed to them. Rezayee proudly backs Friends of Sima Samar to amplify these stories and champion women’s empowerment worldwide.
Baktash Ahadi
Baktash Ahadi is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker, storyteller, and former combat interpreter whose powerful work bridges cultures and fosters empathy. Born in Kabul and raised in the U.S., Baktash has dedicated his career to telling stories that illuminate the human condition, from war zones to communities in healing. His acclaimed documentary Retrograde, produced by National Geographic, earned multiple Emmy Awards and international recognition. Through his production company and The Taleem Project, Baktash crafts films and initiatives that challenge narratives, celebrate resilience, and inspire change. His work has been featured at Tribeca, Telluride, and SXSW, and he continues to collaborate with global organizations to advance dialogue and understanding through the art of storytelling.
Dr. Rahela Kaveer
Dr. Rahela Kaveer is Chair of the World Hazara Council and a fearless advocate for women’s rights, education, and social justice in Afghanistan. A visionary leader born in Mazar, she founded the Afghan Women Empowerment Organization, where she has provided hundreds of women with literacy, vocational training, and sustainable livelihoods—often in regions impacted by poverty and conflict. Through initiatives in aquaculture and animal husbandry, she has created alternatives to poppy farming while fostering dignity and economic independence. A graduate of the Peace Through Business program, Dr. Kaveer’s work continues to uplift marginalized communities and amplify Hazara voices on the global stage.
Catherine Robinson
With over 35 years of experience in international broadcast journalism and the humanitarian sector, Catherine Robinson has built a career at the intersection of media and global advocacy. She began as a journalist with leading networks including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg, reporting from Canada, Hong Kong, and London.
In 2009, Catherine transitioned into the nonprofit sector, serving as a communications specialist for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Based in Europe, she covered complex humanitarian emergencies across Africa, including in Chad, the Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini. Her work later took her to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with UNICEF and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where she helped spotlight the experiences of displaced communities in Syria, Sudan, and Myanmar.
Today, Catherine works as an independent consultant and mentor, continuing her commitment to amplifying voices from the world’s most vulnerable regions.
Azizullah Royesh
Co-founder of Marefat High School, the first co-educational school in Afghanistan promoting women’s rights and democratic values. Featured by NY Times, NPR, CNN, and London Times, among others, the school gained recognition for its curriculum promoting critical thinking and civic education, especially for girls. Authored textbooks on humanism, human rights, and democracy. A Yale World Fellow, Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow with the National Endowment for Democracy, 2015 Global Teacher Prize finalist, and the recipient of the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan Champion of Education Award. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, contributed to the evacuation of 500 Afghans, mainly schoolgirls and Marefat faculty, in partnership with the 30 Birds Foundation and the National Endowment for Democracy. Also, the program director of the Sheesha Media and the Cluster Education initiative for Afghan girls providing education and Empowerment programs for over 4200 girls through 16 clusters in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Fatimah Hossaini
Fatimah Hossaini is an Afghan-Tehran-born artist, award-winning photographer, and founder of the Mastooraat Organization. A powerful voice in art and advocacy, she is one of the youngest recipients of the Hypatia International Award and was named a Rising Talent and Youth Ambassador by the Women’s Forum in France in 2022.
Formerly a lecturer at Kabul University, Fatimah holds a BA in Photography from the University of Tehran and a degree in Industrial Engineering. Now based in New York City, she is a 2024–2025 Fellow at Parsons School of Media, Art, and Technology at The New School, and an artist-in-residence at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts and the NYC Artist Safe Haven Residency Program. She previously held a residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.
Fatimah’s work explores identity, femininity, and resilience—most notably in her acclaimed photo book Beauty Amid War, published in France and Italy, and winner of the ‘University4Eu, your future, our Europe’ Prize. Her photography has been exhibited globally and featured in Time, The Guardian, Vogue, and Arte.
Through vibrant storytelling and bold imagery, Fatimah shines a light on marginalized voices, using art to bridge cultures and spark change.
Nahid Fattahi
Nahid Fattahi is a psychotherapist, writer, and activist specializing in holistic, culturally responsive care. Her work blends mental health, yoga, and self-compassion, with a focus on trauma-informed healing for refugee and immigrant communities. Through public speaking, storytelling, and her writing, she has become a powerful voice for Afghan women navigating identity, displacement, and resilience. A former refugee herself, Nahid draws from her personal experiences to foster empathy and understanding in her practice. She also teaches psychology and advocates for mental health awareness within marginalized communities.
Dr. Mastoora Shafahi
Dr. Mastoora Shafahi is the executive director of the Education and Health Organization for Afghanistan’s Women (EHOAW) and a prominent human rights advocate whose pioneering work has transformed healthcare and education in underserved communities. Hailing from a remote mountain province, she has dedicated over a decade to improving women’s and children’s health through leadership roles in the Afghan Ministry of Public Health. As founder of EHOAW, Dr. Shafahi has secured scholarships for hundreds of girls in fields like dentistry, pharmacy, and reproductive health, and continues to champion girls’ education and maternal care amid ongoing adversity.
Shamsia Alizada
The daughter of a coal miner from Jaghori, Shamsia Alizada rose to national prominence after achieving the highest score on Afghanistan’s 2020 Kankor university entrance exam. Her success became a symbol of possibility for girls across the country, especially in marginalized communities. Now studying medicine abroad, she continues to dream of becoming both a doctor and Afghanistan’s first female president.
