OMNIA Speakers

Let one of our experienced, talented, powerful presenters speak at your conference, symposium, place of worship, community gathering, or educational event.

Our SPEAKERS are thought leaders with top credentials. They have led workshops and lectures on a variety of topics, including religious extremism, community organizing, white supremacy, nonviolent communication, religious reform, anti-bullying, interfaith cooperation, contextual leadership, gender equality, race, civil rights, education, and community reconciliation.

Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana

Dr. Premawardhana is the President of the OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership and architect of the organization’s leadership training program being used in Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the United States. His areas of expertise range from Religion-based violence and Issues of Religious supremacy to community power-building and Interfaith peacebuilding.

Shanta has held leadership positions at the World Council of Churches in Geneva and the National Council of Churches, USA and has lectured extensively on the relationship between religion and government, and forged the acclaimed training program to create Interfaith Peacemaker Teams around the world.

Soraya Deen

Ms. Soraya Deen is the coordinator of Women’s Initiatives. As an attorney and activist she blends her legal expertise of over a decade with her uniquely diverse background to inspire people to navigate conflict and promote peace. A native of Sri Lanka she developed a deep commitment and love, to learning and practicing the Eastern philosophy of SEVA and SIMRAN.  She is also the founder of Peaceworks a center for compassionate communication, conflict resolution and peacemaking. In 2018 Soraya received the prestigious Carus Award for Interfaith Leadership at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Rev. Abare Kallah

The Rev. Abare Kallah is OMNIA's Leadership Team Leader in Nigeria.  He is an ordained minister in the ECWA tradition and is the current Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Northeast Region. One of Nigeria's leading peace activists, he is a Special Advisor to the Governor of Gombe State and travels worldwide addressing issues of peace, non-violence, and interfaith cooperation. With a B.A. in Theology and a M.S. in Conflict Management and Peace Studies, he represented Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo on the  Committee of Nigerian Northern States Governors Forum on Reconciliation, Healing, and Security. A pastor of more than twenty years, he is founder of the Community Peace Dialogue and Interfaith Initiatives and serves as the OMNIA Institute's key liaison to the Nigerian Government and Interfaith Community in Nigeria.

Rev. Kallah resides in Gombe, Nigeria.

Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe

The Right Reverend Kumara Illangasinghe was an emeritus Bishop of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, between 2000 and 2010. He was previously the principal of the Theological College of Lanka between 1992 and 1999. In 2015, he was appointed Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the Parliament of the World's Religions. Today, he heads OMNIA’s Interfaith Peacemaker Initiative in Sri Lanka and provides leadership to Sarva Dharmata Kendra (Center for All Religions), an interreligious organization based in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Bishop Illangasinghe resides in Kandy, Sri Lanka.