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My research investigates the ethics of international engagement, resilience to all forms of violence, and how we engage with conflict, adversity and peace.  With more than twenty years of experience working with the United Nations, various protection-focused international NGOs and policy think-tanks, I now teach and write on these topics, integrating practical experience with academic theory, a version of applied research and academic activism. My current research project, Balancing on the Margins, incorporates both my study of resilience and the practice of yoga and meditation. Through ‘observant participation’ and engaged ethnography in the place I now call home, I am working with young migrants, volunteers and human rights activists  to promote well-being and acceptance of oneself and others.

Lectures, trainings and speaking engagements

  • Speaker, Ethics and Diplomacy, Youth Dialogue: Crisis and diplomacy, 22 April 2021.
  • Panelist, Natural Resources, Extraction and Human Rights Violations,  Human Rights, Conflict, and Peace Initiative, 22 April 2021.
  • Lecturer, Opportunities and challenges in 21st Century Africa- the youth dimension of Leadership in International Security, 21 April 2021.
  • Speaker, Peacebuilding and gender security in post-conflict zones, Students’ Peace Week: Pathways to Peace, 21 April 2021.
  • Convenor, ‘Social Movements, Mass Mobilisations and Protest in Pandemic Times’, Anthropologies & Securities Series, 25 March 2021.
  • Keynote speaker ‘Women, peace and security’, 5th Beijing-Geneva Digital Briefings on Sustaining Peace and Preventive Diplomacy, Geneva Peacebuilding Platform,18 March 2021
  • Lecturer: Conflict analysis; Political Economy of Violence; Gender, conflict and peace. Development Policies and Practices MA, Graduate Institute. March 2021.
  • Course convener and lecturer: Prévention des conflits, paix et sécurité, Université Senghor, Alexandria Egypt, January 2021
  • Course convener and lecturer: On ‘Doing Good’: Ethics, power and privilege in International Enagagement. 6 ECTS-credit course for MA students at the Graduate Institute, Geneva, September- December 2020
  • Project Planning and Management in International Development (online).School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 23-25 June 2020
  • Opportunities and challenges in 21st Century Africa: The youth dimension (online). Geneva Centre for Security Policy, 31 March 2020
  • Action Learning for Conflict Analysis, Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (IHEID) with UN OCHA, 9-13 March 2020
  • The Myth of International Protection. SOAS Migration and Mobilities Seminar Series (London), 23 October 2019
  • On myths of protection and doing less harm. OCHA Civil-Military Coordination Workshop (Sigriswil, Switzerland), 7 October 2019
  • Transitional Justice in Context: Conflict Analysis. Geneva Academy, 3 October 2019
  • Security and Development: A panel discussion. IHEID Security and Insecurity Today, 28 June 2019
  • The Myth of International Protection Book Launch. IHEID, Geneva, 3 June 2019
  • Researching and Writing Situation Reports for Humanitarian Contexts.Norwegian Red Cross (Oslo, Norway), 24 April 2019
  • Finding Courage: From eastern DRC to Annecy. Annecy Professional Women’s Network, 13 September 201
  • Operationalizing Youth Peace and Security. Geneva Centre for Security Policy, 9 April 2018
  • ‘That’s just how it is’: survival despair in unending violence. IHEID African Studies Seminar, 7 November 2017
  • Surplus: the uncounted. Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, Exploring the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding nexus in the city Working Group, 26 June 2017
  • Researching in violent contexts: methods and ethics. University of York, 28 October 2016
  • Coping with violence: Adolescents in eastern DRC and Burundi. Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford, 9 June 2016
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