Sneha Roy, Kolkata, India
After having received her master’s in Socio-cultural anthropology from the Durham University and specialising in Religious anthropology and World Cultures, Sneha has gained deep insights on how religion is often used as a contrivance that incites conflict. Her dissertation examined the discourse on how diaspora communities negotiate religious beliefs and practices in Britain, and parts of her recommendations were presented in the British House of Parliament in 2016. Before coming to the UK, she studied Anthropology at Delhi University, India, and was the gold-medallist of her cohort. Her current research assesses the role of religious leaders in times of acute violence, and the socio-political underpinnings of the same.
In the past, she has worked with the Hindu Council of UK (HCUK) and Ethnic Minority Foundation (EMF) and has spearheaded the first comprehensive report on the Hindu diaspora of the UK. She has conducted several youth workshops across 12 countries to facilitate them with skills of conflict management, post-war reconciliations and community building. , She is one of the signatories of ACWAY (A Common Word Among the Youth), a KAICIID fellow, a volunteer with UNOY, an alumna of Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute (MPI), and a Commonwealth scholar. She was the Country coordinator for Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN) and one of the youth ambassadors for ‘Combating Extremism’ by UNESCO. She has authored essays on conflict reconciliation in Syria, Philippines, Myanmar and Afghanistan, most of which mirror her keen interest in conflict management through a community-centric approach. In her undertakings, she accentuates on the importance of including the youth and women in the policy space, and is the firm believer that for peace to spread around, it should first start from within ourselves.