About
Aanjalie Roane (née Collure) is a humanitarian activist who specializes in campaigns supporting communities affected by armed conflict and crisis. Her family immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka during the Sri Lanka civil war, a brutal and long-standing conflict that was largely overlooked by mainstream media and news. This early experience sparked her interest in bridging the gap between humanitarian affairs and global communications to highlight silenced atrocities.
She currently serves as the Director of Communications at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in Canada, where she leads a team to highlight medical humanitarian needs during armed conflicts, natural disasters, and epidemics. Previously, as the Humanitarian Communications Manager at Women Deliver, Aanjalie supported efforts to push for stronger policies for girls and women in humanitarian settings, and co-led advocacy workshops for grassroots women’s organizations in Lebanon. She also previously served as the Communications Officer at Lighthouse Relief in Greece, where she led campaigns to highlight the needs of refugee women, children, and youth. Before that, as a Senior Associate at Global Health Strategies in New York City, she supported campaigns tied to neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis, and global health innovation, working with clients at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and various UN agencies. She has also worked at IntraHealth International in Washington, DC, where she coordinated efforts to pass the first UN Security Council resolution condemning attacks against healthcare in conflict-affected countries.
Aanjalie was named one of Canada’s Top Youth Changemakers in 2017 by Apathy is Boring, a Signature 150 Event. In 2018 and again in 2020, she was recognized as one of Canada’s Women Leaders in Global Health, a list curated by the Canadian Society for International Health.
Aanjalie holds a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Global Development from Queen’s University in Canada,
