Raza is a peace and development professional with more than 25 years of experience in peacebuilding and sustainable development, both at the grassroots and policy levels. He is the Chief Executive of the Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO).
SPADO is a peace-oriented civil society organisation established in 2002 with the main aim of building peace and protecting the planet. Since 2002, SPADO has contributed to various national, regional and international peace and disarmament initiatives both within and outside the UN system. It is a member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots and the Global Arms Control Coalition. At the national level, SPADO has implemented a variety of CVE, peacebuilding and youth engagement programs with international donor partners, including the UN.
Raza has been extensively engaged in project design, programme management, human resource development and establishing advocacy and awareness campaigns. As an expert in the field, he has delivered numerous trainings to the youth, civil society organisations, government, and media, including evaluating various projects. He has participated as a participant and speaker in various national and more than 45 international forums.
Raza is the spokesperson for the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, a global movement to ban lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems and a board member of the International Peace Bureau (IPB), which is the oldest and largest peace network and an active member of the global Control Arms Coalition. He has also frequently attended and spoken as a civil society delegate at the United Nations office in Geneva and New York.
Raza holds a master's degree in Peacebuilding from Coventry University, UK and a postgraduate diploma in Human Rights Law. He has also remained a Chevening Fellow (Foreign and Commonwealth Scholarship) at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Ulster. Moreover, he has received various professional trainings from the Hedayah Institute, the Kofi Anan Peacekeeping Training Center (KAPTC), the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the United Nations, and Generations for Peace Jordan.
The youth inspire me to be an agent of change. I have seen tremendous opportunities for two-way learning and sharing while working with youth throughout the world.Raza Shah Khan