We all hail from different cultures and different lands, but our shared passion lies in education and reconciliation. When we met, right after playing The Crop Game for the first time, we recognized it as a platform for peace-building and imagination.
It asked us to cooperate with people of different worldviews and conflicting motivations and then confronted us with an array of geopolitical scenarios that forced us to find common ground for the greater good.
We hope that through Diplomatika, people can come together and find common ground when looking for solutions to the issues that we confront on a global stage.
Josh Ambrose
director
Josh is happily married and lives in the UK, though he often wishes they were living in Brazil after he spent a year there in 2015. Josh spent time teaching English as a foreign language abroad and is currently working for a local charity, helping to run an activity centre, mainly for young people. He’s a football fan, with a great interest in politics, cooking and enjoying the great outdoors.
Alan Cutting
Alan has one wife, four children and three grandchildren. In earlier years he planted and pastored new churches. From 2004 he was employed by an international relief and development organisation, responding to major disasters around the world, as well as managing community development programmes, mainly in Former Soviet Union and African countries. Since retiring, Alan has written and published four books, heads up a lot of the Ukraine refugee response in his home town, and delivers training on peacebuilding and reconciliation, mainly in UK and the Balkans. He loves travelling and watching non-league football.
Conrad Altmann
Conrad is a speculative fiction author and designer who lives with his wife and two daughters in the heart of Transylvania. His writing often focuses on shifting perspectives and allegory, and his design work often supports community building and education. Born a Yankee, he has since adopted a more eastern way of life. He enjoys reading and spending time in nature, but don’t rush him on a hike, there are too many flowers to look at.
Nicole Schmarewski
Nicole grew up as a third culture kid in West Africa before moving back to Switzerland in her teens. Because of her early cultural immersion she identifies as a global citizen and lives now in the Balkans as a consultant. She works with individuals, organizations and churches in the areas of conflict transformation, organisational development and IT support. In her free time, she is a passionate F1 fan, meditates through solving jigsaw puzzles and drinking good coffee. She has broad tastes in reading and enjoys deep discussions on the state of the world.
Layan Deeb
Layan Deeb is a Palestinian Christian from Nazareth. She cares deeply about how people meet and understand one another, especially in contexts marked by division and violence. She has been actively involved in programs that foster dialogue and understanding between diverse groups and believes that empathy and communication are vital to creating a world where people are recognized for their humanity. Layan holds on to the hope that listening, truth-telling, and solidarity are not just ideals but daily practices that challenge dehumanization and help build a more just future.