Aima Waheed

Aima is a strategic humanitarian and crisis response expert with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of refugee protection, human rights, and international development. With a background in international relations and crisis management, she has led multi-country programs and high-level advocacy initiatives across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia.
Aima has held senior leadership roles at Rainbow Railroad and Amnesty International, where she oversaw global emergency response strategies, built cross-sector partnerships, and advanced inclusive protection pathways for displaced and marginalized communities. She has worked extensively with governments, grassroots organizations, and multilateral institutions to shape policy and deliver life-saving support to those in crisis.
Aima holds a postgraduate degree in Project Management and an MBA from Australia, as well as an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Political Science from the London School of Economics. She has also completed additional qualifications in Finance, Marketing, Migration Law, and Counselling.
She is passionate about equity-driven, locally led humanitarian responses and believes in the power of strategic collaboration to challenge structural injustice. Her involvement with the Institute for Global Negotiation stems from her commitment to leveraging dialogue, diplomacy, and research to promote durable solutions for those affected by conflict, persecution, and displacement.
She splits her time between Australia and Canada and is currently based in Toronto, Canada.

At the IGN, she serves as Partnerships Officer (Think Tanks & NGOs).