Gulwali Passarlay

The author of best-selling autobiography The Lightless Sky: My Journey to Safety as a Child Refugee. Since arriving in the UK in 2007 after being forced to leave Afghanistan as a 12 year old boy, Gulwali has achieved beyond all odds to become a well-respected and sought after public speaker, influencer and political campaigner for refugee’s rights, social justice and education. The experience of his journey to the UK shaped his future and inspired an insatiable determination and commitment to raise awareness and make a difference for other refugees. 

Jaz O’Hara

The founder of Asylum Speakers, a media platform amplifying voices on those impacted by displacement. Jaz’s work supporting refugees and asylum seekers began after a life-changing Facebook post she wrote about her first trip to the Calais Jungle in July 2015. Jaz’s account went viral, raising £250,000, reaching over 13 million people and sparking the collection of physical donations by the tonne – filling warehouses across the country. As a writer for The Huffington Post, winner of Marie Claire’s ‘Future Shaper’ award and member of Amnesty International’s ‘Collective’, Jaz has become a leading voice on the topic of migration, speaking everywhere from TedX, to the United Nations in NYC.