Meet the Four Finalists for Project Arizona 2024
Nepal
Ichchha Khatiwada
Ichchha Khatiwada is a dedicated professional committed to promoting liberty and empowering individuals. As the Nepal Chapter Leader for the Ladies of Liberty Alliance, she advocates for women's rights through education and community engagement. Additionally, as a Senior Coordinator for Students For Liberty in South Asia, Ichchha mentors young activists, fostering empathy and social change. Certified in Social Emotional Learning for Youth Waging Peace by UNESCO MGIEP, she equips herself with the tools to create a more harmonious society. With a diverse skill set and passion for positive change, Ichchha continues to drive impactful initiatives benefiting both organizations and society.
Ghana
Nathaniel Dwamena
Nathaniel is an LLB graduate, having acquired his first degree in Geography and Rural Development with Economics as minor at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). As the Majority Chief Whip for the 11th Parliament, he made a significant contribution to the KNUST Students' Parliament House. For the 10th and 11th Parliaments in 2017 and 2018, he received the Most Hardworking and Exemplary Leader awards, respectively. Nathaniel finished second in the 2018 Ghana National Parliament's inter-tertiary student parliament's Commonwealth Debate. Nathaniel conducted research for a free market think tank in Ghana, authored opinion pieces, and helped develop alternative policies. He established YAFO Institute in 2023. YAFO Institute is an independent think tank in Ghana that uses the popularizer model to push free enterprise research in the country's public policy arena. YAFO Institute's most recent policy victory involved organizing for a reduction in the electronic transaction levy from 1.7% to 1% in 2023.
Serbia
Drago Matović
Drago Matović is a 24-year-old economics student hailing from Belgrade, Serbia. His involvement with liberty organizations started with his engagement as a local coordinator for SFL Serbia, while also engaging with numerous other organizations such as the United Nations Association of Serbia and also became an alumnus of the John Galt school. Currently he works as an economist and devotes his work to writing analyses of economic issues through the lens of Austrian economics and classical liberalism. He has also authored and helped create the "Golden Newspaper" in Serbia, which features topics on economics, finance, and the gold standard. He is regularly featured on major TV stations in Serbia where he analyses economics and geopolitics.
A passion for individual liberty, free market economics, and the protection of private property have steered his professional endeavors.
Pakistan
Hasbunallah
Hasbunallah obtained Bachelor's Degree in World Politics and international Relations at University of Peshawar. He is currently working as Planning Officer in UNDP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He joined Students For Liberty (SFL) in December 2022 and is a strong advocate of human rights and free market economy.
He voluntarily worked with a think-tank organization IESA for the last three years and organized numerous workshops and conferences.
Meet the Three Pre-accepted Candidates for Project Arizona 2024
Pakistan
Muhammad Usman
Muhammad Usman is a 24-year-old graduate of International Relations and a project support officer at the Sustainable
Peace and Development Organization – SPADO. He joined the Students for Liberty movement as a local coordinator in 2023 and organized over 30 events on the free market economy and the principles of free market capitalism. His enthusiasm and dedication earned him the 'The 2023
Newcomer of the Year' award at the South Asia Regional Awards.
Nepal
Ashish Chhetri
Ashish Chhetri has a degree in Business Administration and owns his own photography and event management company in Pokhara, Nepal. He is the director of visual media at the Language of Liberty Institute, Nepal. He has contributed his knowledge and skills to the organization of various liberty workshops, liberty camps, and liberty symposiums dedicated to free market entrepreneurship and individual liberty in Nepal and South Asia.
Pakistan
Sana Ullah
Sana Ullah is an educationist who fights for freedom of speech by challenging the blasphemy laws of Pakistan. Like Asma Jahangir and Malala Yousaf Zai, he was politicized due to his birthplace which motivated him to set an ambitious goal of making his society freer. He is on the path to achieving this goal through educating young high schoolers about liberals values with a focus on freedom of speech. He firmly believes that “ to remain silent is to die and to speak is life “ .
For him, Project Arizona is not just a course or fellowship but part of his fight for freedom which will equip him with hands-on tools and techniques needed for his advocacy as a community leader.