PATHWAYS TO PEACE - A NEW U.S. STRATEGY TOWARDS CONFLICT PREVENTION
Tuesday, April 20th at 12pm PT
The Global Fragility Act was signed into law last year but has yet to be implemented. The Biden Administration has a chance to build upon this strategy by realigning U.S. diplomatic, development, and defense efforts in a way that reduces instability in countries that are at risk of violent conflict and extremism. By partnering with communities and governments in fragile states to address the drivers of conflict, such as human rights abuses, social and economic exclusion, corruption, and impunity, the U.S. can renew its commitment to American leadership on democracy and human rights globally. This panel discussion will include challenges and opportunities in implementing this new peacebuilding strategy. This event is additionally sponsored by Mercy Corps.
Panelists include:
Maurice Amollo, Technical Director for Africa Region at Mercy Corps
Maurice Amollo is a peacebuilding and development expert with over 21 years of experience providing technical support, oversight, and management of development and conflict mitigation programs. He has directed Peacebuilding, youth and election violence prevention programs, and a number of Resilience Building projects in complex crisis; demonstrating the ability to mobilize and organize governments, civil society, clerics, and local community against ethnic-and resource-based violent conflicts, countering violent extremism (CVE) and abuse of human rights.
Dina Esposito, Vice President for Technical Leadership at Mercy Corps
With over 25 years of international relief, development and post-conflict reconstruction experience, Dina Esposito leverages her expertise to maximize the efficiency and impact of Mercy Corps’ programs around the world. Dina joined Mercy Corps in 2017, drawn to the organization’s approach of addressing the root causes of instability by combining peacebuilding and development work. She is motivated to do humanitarian work by a belief that all global citizens have a responsibility to advance shared peace and prosperity. Prior to Mercy Corps, Dina held positions at USAID, the U.S. State Department and with a nonprofit organization in Ethiopia and Kenya working on peacebuilding and governance.
Alexandra Davis, Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Chris Coons
Allie has worked with Senator Coons for five years where she has advised on appropriations and foreign policy issues. She previously served as a U.S. Fulbright Fellow in South Africa where she worked with the Development Bank of Southern Africa to study the socioeconomic impact of retail investment in townships. Davis received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Delaware.
Mark Iozzi recently joined the congressional leadership staff as Majority Leader Hoyer’s National Security Advisor. Previously, Mark was the Deputy Chief Counsel of the House Foreign Affairs Committee where he was the lead staff member responsible for drafting the Global Fragility Act and numerous other pieces of legislation on matters including war powers, counterterrorism, international development, cyber policy, and sanctions. Mark has also held positions with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senator Maria Cantwell. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan, where he helped establish civil society organizations. He is originally from Washington State.
take action!
Urge your Senators and Representative in Congress to support the implementation of the Global Fragility Act
In December 2019, Congress passed the Global Fragility Act (GFA). This innovative new law reorients U.S. foreign policy and assistance by ensuring that U.S. diplomatic, development, and defense agencies collaborate to reduce violence in at least five high-priority, fragile countries over the next decade. Through this new strategy, the U.S. government will invest in efforts, such as civil society empowerment, conflict resolution, justice sector reform, good governance, civilian security, and security sector reform, to prevent violence before it occurs. But in order to implement this new approach to peacebuilding it is essential that Congress provide the funding necessary to ensure the success of this important new law.
