Advisory Board of the ORCD
Dr. Nick Mawani founded ORCD Canada Inc. (Non-Profit) in 2016 and co-founded ORCD Ghana in 2018. ORCD is Organization for Research and Community Development.
Dr. Nick was awarded Queen Elizabeth II, Diamond Jubilee Medal, in January 2013 for his promotion of health care and healthy living in Canada.He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa, Canada in Biological Sciences. He is also a graduate in Respiratory Therapy.
Dr. Nick received the Alberta Society of Respiratory Therapists Award for Academic Excellence as the top student in the Province of Alberta, Canada. He was elected as the Master of Public Health (MPH) student leader at the University of Liverpool, the UK in 2013.
He graduated successfully with a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Liverpool, UK. His MPH Dissertation abstract was accepted at the European Public Health Association 7th Conference in June 2014 for poster presentation in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Dr. Nick also received the Canada 150 Award for Community Service in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada in 2017. He inspired and helped create the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health Symposium 2018 Abstract which was selected for Panel Presentation: Health Technology Assessment: Examining Conventional, Complementary, and Traditional Approaches to Health Care.
He was appointed on the Doctor of Public Health Student Advisory Council, Walden University, USA. Dr. Nick was also appointed to the School of Health Professions Assessment Council in 2020.
Dr. Nick is currently developing an ambitious plan to create a rural hospital in Ghana.
Dr.Qudratullah Nasrat is a dedicated Medical Doctor and public health expert from Afghanistan, with 15+ years of transformative leadership in global health, humanitarian efforts, and community development. His work centers on strengthening health systems, advancing womens rights, promoting gender equality, & fostering mutual understanding to drive impactful change worldwide. Through resilient advocacy and innovative initiatives, he has earned national and international recognition.
As one of the few male activists championing womens health, he served as Chair of the Afghan Women Network, leading efforts to provide essential services to victims of GBV. In 2022, he received the 9th Annual Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices Global Partnership in New York, an accolade previously given to leaders like former U.S. President Joe Biden and A 2010 Fulbright Scholarship Laureate, he earned a Masters in International Public Health, inspiring him to found Organization for Research and Community Development (ORCD), which he expanded to USA, Canada, Ghana, and Turkiye. He secured special consultative status with the UNs Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for ORCD,the first Afghan NGO to achieve this elevating Afghan civil society globally. By securing funding from UN agencies and international donors, he has facilitated critical health services for approximately 5 million people, youth employment, and evidence-based global health initiatives.
His research includes leading a study on regional variations in family planning use in Afghanistan, selected as one of the top four proposals out of 147 globally, providing vital data for health policy. He has conducted impact evaluations for MSI and assessed nutrition interventions across Afghan provinces, offering actionable recommendations to improve outcomes in resource-limited settings.
In key roles, he has served as Co-Chair of the Afghanistan Health Cluster, member of the Gavi CSO Steering Committee (2019-2022), and elected member of the Afghan HCT. As a commissioner for the Afghanistan NCDI Commission, he supported health systems in post-conflict environments. Collaborating with UN agencies and overseeing Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund projects (2015-2018), he has navigated complex challenges to achieve systemic change.
James B. Foster
Currently studying at the University of Ottawa, James has a wide background of experience in a variety of fields. Initially writing algorithms on spec for clients, James went on to create a small fund trading bitcoins, stocks and bonds with automated trading algorithms. With D.J. McCready, James has co-lectured a course on generational differences, offering a millennial's perspective, as well as co-authored a book on economic justice and ethics, set for publication in 2017.