Gerdy Rees works for the British Refugee Council in a communications and outreach role. He is also a part-time postgraduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies, enrolled on the International Studies and Diplomacy programme and reading International Law, International Security Studies and International Economics, with an elective in Arabic. He is currently researching the use of organised non-violence as a means for affecting social change in political Islam. He is an intern for oD's terrorism and security section.