Developing a participatory peace-building process which utilises design thinking, popular education, appreciative inquiry, social justice, and peace-building methodology to incorporate the voices of those impacted by conflict

Monica

When peace-building projects are implemented upon local communities as opposed to generated by them, they are less effective. Monica is developing a participatory peace-building process which utilises design thinking, popular education, appreciative inquiry, social justice, and peace-building methodology to incorporate the voices of those impacted by conflict.

“I am a recovering refugee. The pain of losing my home, my memories, and my family is a trauma that sits within me, but it is also the fuel that drives me to work every day towards building peace.”

 

Monica fled Romania as a child and arrived in the US as a refugee. The founder and managing director of Activate Labs, Monica often speaks and facilitates to activate peace-builders. An Opportunity Collaboration 2015 Boehm Fellow and a 2018 PeaceDirect “Tomorrow’s Peacebuilders Finalist”, she earned master’s degrees in Conflict and Coexistence and International Development from Brandeis University Heller School of Management and Social Policy.

Monica is the youngest of 11 children and her nickname was “the HURRICANE”.

 

Seeds of Peace GATHER

 

Photo credit: Stina Svanberg

 

GATHER Fellow

Monica is taking part in the 2019 GATHER Fellowship, SE Forum's partnership with Seeds of Peace.