Isra Amin Ali

"From the community and back to the community - Learning together, growing together and building the future together". Every piece of knowledge, experience, and opportunity gained from the community should ultimately be returned as a benefit to the community.

Isra Amin Ali has more than 15 years of experience working and learning alongside local communities under both international and national organisations, including Bina Swadaya Foundation, UNIDO, Mercy Corps Indonesia, DAI and USAID.

Throughout his career, he has worked on a wide-range of community empowerment initiatives in both urban areas and remote rural communities, focusing on poverty reduction and improvement of livelihoods. His work has encompassed various fields, including entrepreneurship development in underserved and marginalised areas, local economic development based on sustainable utilisation of local potential, planning and mobilisation of local resources, building partnership networks to enhance rural community productivity, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience as well as improving the economic and social well-being of communities through renewable energy sector. In addition to his extensive engagement with local communities, Isra has considerable experience with government institutions and private-sector partners.

Isra holds a bachelor degree of Economics from Halu Oleo University (2004) and studied for a master's degree in Sociology at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Pattimura University.  As a native son of Maluku who has grown, worked, and contributed alongside local communities, he possesses a deep understanding of the region's social and cultural characteristics, customary traditions, and development dynamics across the Maluku archipelago.

Drawing on this extensive experience, Isra has been entrusted to strengthen the NZMATES team during phase I as a Senior Community Engagement Officer and currently serves as a Community Engagement Coordinator for phase II since January 26, 2026