Omar is an experienced leader in sustainability and civic space, with over 15 years of expertise driving impactful initiatives across civil society, the private sector, academia, and state agencies in the Caribbean and beyond. He is currently the Lead of the Global Narrative Hive, a core programme of the Funders Initiative for Civil Society (FICS) which seeks to counter the rise of authoritarian and anti-rights narratives, while building narrative infrastructure to advance visions of a more sustainable, safer, and just world.
Prior to this, Omar was the CEO of The Cropper Foundation (TCF), a Trinidad & Tobago non-profit organisation advancing sustainable development in the Caribbean. At TCF, he led transformative programmes furthering Caribbean sustainability through initiatives that advanced climate justice, sustainable development, and technology-driven solutions for civil society.
Omar has led national and regional efforts at enhancing sustainability and diversity in education through his work with UNESCO’s Schools Programme in Trinidad and Tobago. Here, he oversaw projects that included bullying and school violence and UNESCO’s climate change education agenda. He was also integral to the curriculum development for countering extremism in the Americas and implementing national whole-school approaches to mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals. His reputation in the development arena has earned him consultancies with the University of the West Indies (UWI), various United Nations agencies, and other civil society organisations.
Omar has a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge, a Masters in Business Administration and Innovation and a BSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Management from the University of the West Indies.
In my work, change happens when others are equipped, empowered, and encouraged to create change for themselves. In my work supporting civil society organisations, change has happened when environmental groups have been able to challenge local government authorities to restrict extractive activities, when disability CSOs have been able to advocate for more inclusive legislation, and when LGBTQ+ groups have deepened their ability to positively impact their beneficiaries by strengthening their operational and financial management capacity.Omar Mohammed