Calgary Centre for Global Community
Board of Directors

Michele Braun

Michele Braun teaches at Mount Royal University. She earned a PhD in English Literature from Northeastern University with a dissertation that examined the ways in which technology is represented in contemporary literature and how those representations invite readers to question their understanding of human nature. Her work over the last two decades in the non-profit sector and higher education as a trainer and educator reflects an ongoing conviction that dialogue, critical thinking, and education in all its forms have the capacity to change the world.

John Chan


John Chan is a civil servant serving Alberta Environment as a senior Environmental Protection Officer.  His professional experience includes water management protection, human rights protection, community development, and grassroots program design and management in the non-profit sector.  Mr. Chan has also volunteered with many NGO’s throughout Central and South America.

Arthur Clark


Arthur Clark is a Professor of Neuropathology and Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary. He is a citizen of the United States and of Canada, and served as a Captain in the US Army Medical Corps 1971-73, during the era of the Vietnam War. After a residency in neurology at the Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY (1973-76) and a fellowship and assistant professorship in neuropathology at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland, he moved to Calgary, Canada, with his wife, Dr. Irma Parhad, in 1984.

Dr. Clark has been active in public affairs since the time of the 1990-91 crisis involving Iraq. His emphasis has been on the necessity of responsible global citizenship; on the necessity for governments to abide by and uphold international law; and on the failure of governments to meet this standard as a major factor jeopardizing human security. His book, The ABCs of Human Survival: A Paradigm for Global Citizenship, was published in April 2010 by Athabasca University Press.

Naushad Dada
Naushad Dada is an information technology professional, specializing in developing web and non-web based applications from inception to implementation. He has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Loughborough, UK and a professional designation of MBCS (Member of the British Computer Society). His capacity to identify the skills and strengths of every technical team member and end users has enabled him to improve efficiency and deliver projects on time and within budget. As a consequence of defining user requirements accurately and comprehensively, his work has paid long-term dividends in helping organizations (profit and non-profit), control their financial and human resource costs. This experience has helped Naushad develop soft skills in facilitation, team building, communications, and interpersonal skills, skills that he has learned in his professional life and then applied effectively in the voluntary sector.

Naushad has served on the executive committee of Project Ploughshares for about ten years, an organization whose mandate is two fold: the disarmament of nuclear weapons and non-violent approaches to conflict resolution. In this capacity, his contributions have included conceptualizing conferences related to peace issues, being an active participant at monthly educational meetings, taking part in fund raising activities and lending a cultural and faith-based perspective to conflict resolution issues. Naushad was also involved in implementation in the Future Ways programme by United Way, with a mandate to ensure that diversity criteria were taken into consideration when recipient organizations were funded. Naushad has volunteered with the Calgary group of Amnesty International and is currently part of the Project Management Committee of Women for Women in Afghanistan (Canadian W4W in Afghanistan).

Darren Hedley

Darren Hedley is a senior consultant in program and policy management, working with TANGO International (Technical Assistance to NGOs) in the field of food security with particular emphasis on institution-building and governance.  He has worked for 20 years in the international development field, including 14 years resident in Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America, mostly with CARE International as program manager and country director. Locally, Dr. Hedley has worked in a number of community development programs in a professional and voluntary capacity. His PhD in public policy focuses on the multi-stakeholder networks for urban poverty reduction and water supply management.

Yasmin Kanji

Yasmin Kanji is a vice president with a securities corporation and has also spent many years in the banking industry. She currently sits on the University of Calgary Senate and has been involved with facilitating courses, presentations and debates both at the U of C and with corporations.

Mike Simoens

Mike Simoens is one of the six co-founders of Calgary-based web development company Structured Abstraction, where he performs research & development surrounding database driven Internet applications as well as general internet related technology. Mike is a Computer Scientist with a minor in Anthropology and applies that background to studying social networks, social media and social innovation. He is a strong proponent of building the capacity for online communications in civil society and is a strong advocate for an open, neutral and accessible Internet.