"I wanted to tackle the root causes of the conflicts I had reported on."

Only by speaking and engaging with the communities affected by climate change, conflict and other crises can we truly support the emergence of sustainable solutions and help governments bring about real change. The next vital step is to give these communities a voice and to faithfully tell their story. Nazanine Moshiri has dedicated much of her life to doing just that. Today, we tell her story.

Meet Nazanine Moshiri, Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for Climate, Environment and Conflict in Africa

Your background. I was born in Tehran, but moved to the UK with my family just before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. 

I grew up in a family where news events were more than just a distant occurrence. BBC Persian Service, in particular, was always reverberating through the kitchen walls. At one point, the names of those executed in Iran were read out each day and my mother would listen intently for one name in particular.

One morning, came the news she had been dreading: my uncle was among those on the list. It was devastating and had a big impact on us. News is basically in my DNA. I remember being crouched many evenings in front of the television, watching bulletins with my reporter’s notebook and pen, scribbling the headlines and highlights. I always wanted to be a foreign correspondent and finally, in 2006, it happened when I joined Al Jazeera English.

After years of covering wars, coups, natural disasters and man-made famines, I started to question my impact in forming policy. I returned to my studies, completing a Masters in International Security Studies part-time, and pursuing my dream of studying International Law at the University of London.

In 2011, after Tunisia’s “Arab spring”, I met members of the International Crisis Group’s Board of Trustees who were visiting at the time. I think that encounter planted the seeds which eventually brought me to Crisis Group. 

I wanted to tackle the root causes of the conflicts I had reported on, which took me to the UN Security Council, where I served for more than three years as a Panel member in Nairobi. I briefly returned to journalism at Reuters, covering East Africa for almost two years, before joining Crisis Group in 2021.

Your role at Crisis Group. I am currently a Senior Analyst for Climate, Environment and Conflict in Africa.

I contribute through my reports, advocacy and videos to Crisis Group's mission to put climate-related violence on the international agenda. Crisis Group is now one of the go-to organisations for analysis on these issues, notably in the Horn of Africa. 

Workstation. I am based in Nairobi, but travel to other areas and countries for research. Most recently, I spent several weeks in Somalia. I am returning there in February.

Typical workday. My days in Nairobi are very different from typical work days when travelling for research.

I usually try to drop my daughter at school in the mornings, she is picked up by bus in the afternoons. I try to do some exercise, then scan news outlets and social media, particularly in my region in Africa. I respond to and prepare for various requests from academics, NGOs, media and donors. I connect with colleagues in the Africa and Future of Conflict Programs.

I spend the majority of my time writing and researching my ongoing report, which is currently on Somalia. This involves many meetings with interlocutors throughout the region.

Proudest achievement. I am really proud that my investigations and recommendations into the use of improvised explosive devices by Al-Shabaab contributed to the UN Security Council’s move to add an IED components ban to its 2019 Resolution. 

Most important thing you've learned about conflict prevention.

It may seem obvious to some, but I have learned a lot about how political solutions can and must be part of any kind of conflict prevention. Even though the road can be long and pretty arduous, protracted military solutions are rare and usually too bloody to contemplate. I believe that the road to peace involves dialogue and negotiation, however hard that may be.

What do you like most about your job?

I feel like I am most useful when I am conducting research in the communities I seek to serve. I am in my element when I talk to those suffering from climate and environmental stresses and conflict. I want to hear their stories and their recommendations.

An example of a personal touch you bring to your work.

I have brought some of my television presentation skills into my work, with personal reportages or show-and-tells from my research.

Team cat or team dog? Well we have two cats, Simba and Tanga, both of whom are adopted and loved deeply by my daughter. I think I am, however, definitely part of “Team Dog”.