Sócrates Vásquez García (Ayuujk Jääy), Community Media Program Manager, hails from Oaxaca, México, and is a radio journalist, an activist for Indigenous Peoples' communication rights, and Co-founder of Ayuujk Community Radio Jënpoj, which has been operating in Tlahuitoltepec Mixe, Oaxaca, for over 20 years. He has worked on community development projects, training Indigenous community journalists, and strengthening Indigenous community radio broadcasting. He has been working for the recognition of community and Indigenous radio stations in Mexican legislation. Sócrates was the national representative of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and belonged to the Regional Council of AMARC Latin America. Sócrates is also a rural sociologist from the Autonomous University of Chapingo, in Texcoco, Mexico. He holds a Master's degree in rural development from the Xochimilco Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and just finished his Doctorate degree in rural development from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. Contact Sócrates at socrates@cs.org.

Diana Pastor (Maya K'iche), Media Coordinator, holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala and studied Collaborative Community Leadership at California State University, Monterey Bay, USA. As an Indigenous woman from the diaspora, she is passionate about promoting her culture globally and engaging in conversations around the evolving dynamics of Indigenous Peoples. Diana has worked as a communications coordinator and consultant for local and international NGOs for the past nine years. She served as editor of EntreMundos (between worlds), a magazine focused on development, culture and human rights in Guatemala. She is pursuing a Master's in International Media Studies at the Deutsche Welle Akademie in Bonn, Germany. She speaks Spanish, English, and some German. Contact Diana at: diana.pastor@cs.org

Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Koĩts-Sunuwar), Community Media Program Coordinator, comes from Nepal. Dev holds Master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication, political science, and law, specializing in international law and human rights from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He has worked in different media for more than 15 years, including print, radio, TV, and digital. He also has worked as an investigative reporter for Centre for Investigative Journalism, Nepal (CIJ-Nepal), and as a column writer on Indigenous Peoples and minority groups for mainstream newspapers. Together with his colleagues, Dev founded several community radio stations, an association of 21 Indigenous community stations, and Nepal’s and South Asia’s first and only Indigenous community television station. Contact Dev at dev.kumar@cs.org.

Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan), Indigenous Rights Radio Coordinator, started out in media by producing music videos. His work with Indigenous Peoples started in 2006, after he went on a countrywide journey to document the origins of his family surname "Damakwa" which is a Khoi Tribe of South Africa. On his paternal side, Shaldon’s San heritage can be traced to the Northern Cape, South Africa. His first film "Eldorado" premiered at the Durban International Film Festival and won an award in 2011. Shaldon became involved in radio when he started volunteering at his local community radio station, Eldos FM, eleven years ago in Eldorado Park in Johannesburg. Since then, his live show, “Cleaning up the House,” which airs weekly on Saturday mornings, has won numerous awards, and is the longest running weekly show on Eldos FM. The show is built on interaction from the community based on current issues. Contact Shaldon at shaldon.ferris@cs.org.