Founder Daniel J Gerstle and Adviser Faruk Vreto talk strategy for the War Survivors Advisory in Dobrinje-Sarajevo, Bosnia. (Photo: Johanna-Maria Fritz)
Humanitarian Bazaar | _Team
Humanitarian Bazaar produces creative projects focused on how people survive war and disaster.
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OUR TEAM
At Humanitarian Bazaar, we are known for turning small budgets into high profile projects. People see we have worked in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe and believe we are a multi-million dollar international agency. But we are very small team that runs more like a mobile arts community. While funded by the U.N. Development Programme, U.S. State Department, Danish Refugee Council, Bill Brookman Foundation, Adeso Africa, and other influential partners, our work is seasonal and largely self-funded as our founder and team members have other careers. Our founder/director, with advice from our Advisory Group, develops projects to support local allies in tough places who have important innovative proposals on how people survive war and disaster. We also take on traditional humanitarian consulting, media production, and training contracts.
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CURRENT HB COMMUNITY 2023
We operate as a mobile arts, media, and humanitarian community. That means we all have other careers, but come together here to develop shared nonprofit humanitarian and arts projects seasonally. When we have a meaningful project, the director brings it to the Advisory Group for general agreement, develops it with local allies in the community looking to overcome an emergency or humanitarian issue, and then looks for a funding partner. Once a funding partner is secured, then Humanitarian Bazaar hires a short term team for that project on monthly or daily rate. We just want to be clear up front. People see what we can do and imagine we have some vast headquarters staff, but no, we are humanitarian media arts community run by volunteers until we generate long or short term funded projects we can do together while keeping our other careers. That clarified, here is out current team and community:
Founder & Director | Daniel J. Gerstle. Berlin, Germany. While serving as an emergency coordinator and war journalist over two decades, Daniel built a global network of emergency responders, war journalists, filmmakers, musicians, refugees, and local peacebuilders in crisis zones who had the shared experience of surviving war and disaster. Daniel has published feature stories on humanitarian themes in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Middle East Eye, and SyriaUntold. His work has been covered by BBC Newshour, Euronews, CNN, VICE, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and the Somali and Bosnian press. He is the director of Humanitarian Bazaar’s first feature film (Somali Sunrise, formerly known as Live from Mogadishu, currently in late post-production) and multimedia documentary (How We Survive, in production). Find out more about his work here.
Senior Advisor, Africa | Shiine Akhyaar. London, UK. Co-Founder / Chairman, Waayaha Cusub. Shiine and his Somali hip hop activist group Waayaha Cusub have partnered with HB numerous times on projects ranging from the 2012-2014 Somali Sunrise Concert Tour for Peace, the 2013 Mogadishu Music Festival, the 2013 Journey of Peace Dadaab, Masterpeace, and much more. Shiine now plays a major role advising on the coming film, Somali Sunrise.
Senior Advisor, Africa | Nur Hassan. Nairobi, Kenya. Nur is a media producer and journalist who has played a crucial role in the Mogadishu Music Festival and our new film, Somali Sunrise (formerly known as Live from Mogadishu). He continues to produce media and support international media across East Africa.
Senior Advisor, West Asia | Naimeullah Sangin. Afghanistan / United States. HB first worked with NS as part of the 2011 Sound Central Festival in Afghanistan. In 2016, NS provided valuable assistance on HB’s Afghan projects on gender-based violence prevention, education, and civilian protection. In 2020-2021, NS continued to advise on preparations for the Afghanistan emergency long before the Taliban took power. He continues to advise as an important part of the War Survivors Advisory.
Senior Advisor, Film Postproduction | Lyra Garzon-Stewart. Berlin, Germany. HB founder Daniel J. Gerstle originally met Lyra, a film producer and editor, at Columbia University while both pursued their Master of International Affairs with humanitarian and human rights focus. Since then, Lyra provided key advice on the complex postproduction of the feature film, Somali Sunrise.
Advisor, Crisis Journalism | Vincent Haiges. Berlin, Germany. Bio to be added soon.
Advisor, Global Development | Tassilo Küpper. Berlin, Germany. Founder, UB-One Foundation. Tassilo provided valuable advice and insight on developing programs and shifting HB’s base to Germany.
Advisor, Film Production | Abbas Ayyoubi. Berlin, Germany. Berlin, Germany. Founder / Director, Abbas Ayyoubi Films. HB provided creative advice and production support to Abbas’ film Parvana (Butterfly) and hosted a private screening for cast and crew in 2022. Both organizations plan future collaboations.
Advisor, Everything Else | David Frame. Pretoria, South Africa. Bio to be added soon.
Cinematographer | Can Berk. Berlin, Germany. Bio to be added soon.
Cinematographer | Thomas Au. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Bio to be added soon.
EMERITUS FORMER TEAM / ADVISORY NETWORK
Program Coordinator, Afghanistan | Tamana Ayazi. In 2023, Tamana premiered her acclaimed feature film, In Her Hands, on Netflix. Crafted during the complex 2021 emergency in Afghanistan, the film is an enduring testimony to the hard work led by many Afghan women to keep the dream of democracy alive. Executive Producers Hillary and Chelsea Clinton took part in the postproduction and premiere. Prior to this, Tamana worked with HB as program coordinator in Afghanistan.
Cinematographer, East Africa | Hajooj Kuka. In 2023, Hajooj is taking part in efforts to rally for a ceasefire in Sudan. His films Akasha (2018) and Beats of the Antonovs (2014), produced with his organization Refugee Club propelled him to a role in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Prior to this, HB met him to discuss Refugee Club in 2010, later including him on the production team of HB’s feature film, Somali Sunrise (2023).
Performer / Advisor, East Africa | Felis Abdi. Bio to be added soon.
Performer / Advisor, East Africa | Alsarah. Bio to be added soon.
Cinematographer / Performer, East Africa | Ahmad Mahmoud. Bio to be added soon.
Senior Advisor, East Africa | Suliman Giddo. Bio to be added soon.
Advisor / Translator, East Africa / United States | Ifrah Udgoon. Bio to be added soon.
Advisor, Women’s Rights | Almut Rochowanski. Maine, United States. Bio to be added soon.
And many, many more people are involved at different levels. We’ll share here a broader look at the talented people who worked with us over the past years soon.
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