Better known as “Pachedu” (“between us”) by the Zimbabwean people, Roy Bennett is a third generation Zimbabwean and the current Treasurer General for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Despite intimidation waged against voters by ZANU-PF, Roy was elected to the Zimbabwean Parliament in 2000 where he served the Chimanimani region. In 2004, ZANU-PF seized his farm and beat, raped, and killed his workers.

As a result of the trauma, Roy’s wife lost their third child. Jailed and later forced to flee the country by ZANU-PF, Roy finally returned to his homeland in 2009. Soon after, he was charged with “treason” and jailed for a second time. He was named the Deputy Minister of Agriculture within the joint MDC/ZANU-PF power-sharing government—but Mugabe has refused to ratify his appointment and Roy again escaped into exile in late 2010. Whilst in exile, Roy was deployed by the Standing Committee in March 2011 to head up a Global Advocacy Campaign that has resulted in the formation of this alliance—the Global Alliance for Zimbabwe.

Ambassador J.D. Bindenagel is the vice president for Community, Government and International Affairs at DePaul University. A former American ambassador and 28-year veteran of the U.S. diplomatic corps, Bindenagel has extensive experience in government and international affairs.

Bindenagel served in the U.S. Army, the State Department and in U.S. embassies in Germany in various capacities from 1972 to 2003.  Notably, he was the U.S. deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin East Germany in 1989, where he helped negotiate the reunification of Germany.  Additionally, he was appointed by President Clinton in 1999 as U.S. Ambassador and Special Envoy for Holocaust issues.  From 2002-2003, Bindenagel was a special U.S. negotiator for "Conflict Diamonds," leading a negotiation that resulted in a worldwide ban on sales of illicit, rough "conflict" diamonds.