Who we are
Peace Direct is an award-winning, international NGO supporting local people in some of the most challenging conflict environments worldwide.
We are based in London, UK, and have offices in Washington, DC and New York.
If you’d like to work for Peace Direct, visit our jobs page to see current vacancies for interns or staff.
Bridget Moix, US Senior Representative and Head of Advocacy
Bridget has worked for 20 years on international peace and conflict issues, with a focus on US foreign policy. Prior to joining Peace Direct as Senior US Representative and Head of Advocacy, she was part of its founding US board for four years. From 2013-2015, Bridget served as Atrocity Prevention Fellow with USAID’s Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation. She spent nine years lobbying on US foreign policy and peace issues with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, where she developed and led the Peaceful Prevention of Deadly Conflict program. She has also worked with the Quaker United Nations Office, Oxfam America, American Friends Service Committee, and the World Policy Institute. Bridget directed the Casa de los Amigos in Mexico City, a Quaker center of hospitality and international understanding, from 2006-2008. She also worked in Capetown, South Africa, with the Quaker Peace Centre during her graduate studies internship. Bridget holds a PhD with George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, where she focused her dissertation on understanding the motivations of local peacebuilders and how the international community can better support them. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and Quaker studies at a variety of institutions, including Haverford College, Columbia University, George Washington University, and Eastern Mennonite University. Bridget lives in Washington, DC, and has two sons who challenge her peacebuilding skills every day.
Contact: bridget.moix@peacedirect.org
Contact: bridget.moix@peacedirect.org
Christine Trillana, Administrative and Development Assistant
Christine is responsible for ensuring both UK and US offices act unilaterally and have a unified voice in public outreach. She is also in charge of the US databases and general office management; adapting these systems to Peace Direct’s continued growth and exposure in the US. She received a BS in International Studies from Fordham University and is happy to put this and her experience as an ambulette dispatcher into good use. Contact: christine.trillana@peacedirect.org
Sapna Chhatpar Considine, Interim UN Representative
Sapna has worked for 20 years in the international peace and security space, namely on atrocity prevention, the responsibility to protect, peacebuilding and sustaining peace, civil society networks and United Nations processes and structures. Sapna also serves as a Director at Strategy for Humanity, a unique consulting firm, where she heads up New York operations and is a key lead on the multilateral portfolio. Her other clients have included the UN Office on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict. Prior to joining Strategy for Humanity, Sapna served as the co-founder and Program Director of the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP), a global coalition of civil society organizations working to prevent genocide and mass atrocities. At ICRtoP, Sapna cultivated linkages with hundreds of civil society organizations from all over the world to build local, regional and global capacities for implementation of the Responsibility to Protect and to mobilize action for the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. Sapna holds a Master of International Affairs, focusing on Human Rights, from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the American University in Washington, DC. Contact: sapna.considine@peacedirect.org
Lynn Erskine, Communications Consultant
Lynn Erskine has directed media and advocacy campaigns for a variety of U.S. and international organizations, including Center for Economic and Policy Research, UN Millennium Campaign, Council for a Livable World, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. She is an expert in coalition-building and media outreach on nuclear nonproliferation, environment, economics and consumer protection issues. Her consulting clients have included Fourth Freedom Forum, Arms Control Association, Win Without War Coalition, Friends Committee on National Legislation and the documentary film “Uncovered: The War on Iraq.” She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa and lives in Washington, DC. Contact: lynn.erskine@peacedirect.org
Staff in the UK
Dylan Mathews, Chief Executive
Dylan Mathews comes to Peace Direct from Y Care International a youth focused international development agency working in 20 countries around the world, where he was Director of International Programmes. His commitment to supporting local organisations in the global south spans over a decade. He has worked for a range of UK based international development and humanitarian organisations, including Oxfam, Landmine Action, the British Red Cross and Oxford Research Group. Whilst at Oxford Research Group he authored ‘War Prevention Works’ which profiled the role of non-state actors in conflict prevention and resolution – a publication that helped launch Peace Direct in 2004. Dylan has been a trustee of Peace Direct for six years. He holds an MBA from the Open University and an MSc in Development Studies from London South Bank University. Contact: dylan.mathews@peacedirect.org
Charlotte Melly, Head of International Programmes
Charlotte oversees Peace Direct’s International Programmes, providing guidance and strategic direction to the work, team and partners. She has worked in peacebuilding and human rights throughout her career, including as a human rights accompanier in Colombia and at Conciliation Resources, where she worked on programmes in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Charlotte has an MPhil in International Relations and a BA in Modern and Medieval Languages. Contact: charlotte.melly@peacedirect.org
Ruairi Nolan, Head of Research and Engagement
Ruairi manages Peace Insight, including the Tomorrow’s Peacebuilder Awards, and leads on identifying new partners and supporting them in the early years of the partnership. He joined Peace Direct as Insight on Conflict Project Manager in 2009. He has an MSc in Latin American Studies and has worked in rural development in Central America, at Irish Aid and at the UNESCO Centre at the University of Ulster. Contact: ruairi.nolan@peacedirect.org
David Jones, Head of Finance and Administration
David has extensive experience in both the charity and commercial sectors. His experience also includes developing the strategic direction and financial policies of organisations. David lived and worked in Sub-Saharan Africa for many years spending six years as Group Finance Director of an international NGO focusing on the advancement of education in developing countries. David is a qualified Chartered Accountant (FCA) and also holds an Advanced Management Programme diploma from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town and has lectured at the University of Zimbabwe. Contact: david.jones@peacedirect.org
Claire May, Head of Programme Development
Claire is responsible for helping our partners to develop their programmes and to liaise with government and other institutions to secure the necessary funding. She is an English Literature graduate who has worked in a fundraising capacity for Orchid Project (working to end FGM through grassroots initiatives) and NAT (National AIDS Trust). Contact: claire.may@peacedirect.org
Daniel Tamene, Finance Manager (Programmes)
Daniel works with our programmes team and field partners on financial reporting and management. He trained as an accountant in Ethiopia and has ten years of experience in different finance roles. From 2011 -2012 he worked as a Field Finance Officer in South Sudan with Intersos. He has a first degree in Political Science from Addis Ababa University, a Masters from Bradford University in Peace Studies, and is a candidate for an MA in HR and Conflict Management from Scuola Superiore Sant’ Anna, Pisa. Contact: daniel.tamene@peacedirect.org
Scarlett Kassimatis, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser
Scarlett is the lead on Monitoring and Evaluation for all projects, helping build the capacities of local partners and ensuring projects have a strong M&E focus. Scarlett also oversees organisational learning and has come from a programme management background, mainly focused on the Middle East but in particular on Iraq and Palestine. She has an MA in Human Rights Law from SOAS and has written for Open Democracy, Middle East Monitor and the International State Crime Initiative. Contact: scarlett.kassimatis@peacedirect.org
Laura Vermeer, International Programmes Officer
Laura supports the International Programmes team which manages all Peace Direct’s relationships and projects. She manages narrative and financial reports, logistics and event organisation and supports communication internally with partners. With experience working and studying in the Netherlands, Belgium, China, South Korea and the DRC, she joined Peace Direct after completing a BA in European Studies, a MA in Political Sciences and a MA in International Conflict and Security from the University of Kent, where she focused on armed groups and the role of local actors in Eastern DRC. Her other areas of interest include security in the Asia-Pacific region and Sino-Africa relationships. Contact: laura.vermeer@peacedirect.org
Léo Vuillermoz, International Programmes Officer
Leo works within the International Programmes team to manage relationships with partners abroad and helps prepare narrative and financial reports and proposals. Prior to Peace Direct, Leo worked as Finance Officer for Renatura, a Congolese NGO. From 2014 to 2016, he was the Coordinator of the Moroccan branch of Le Partenariat, working mainly on WASH and environmental projects. He has a BA in Political Science from the Jean Moulin University and an MA in Humanitarian Affairs from the IRIS research centre on international relations. Contact: Leo.Vuillermoz@peacedirect.org
Farzana Ahmed, Senior Research Officer
Farzana works on the USAID-funded “Stopping As Success” research project, which looks at exit strategies of international development actors. She has a BA in Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies and an MA in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London. Previously she worked for the Africa Directorate at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, an international NGO based in Yemen and a research consultancy in South Sudan. Contact: farzana.ahmed@peacedirect.org
Megan Renoir, Senior Research Officer
Megan works on the USAID-funded “Facilitating Financial Sustainability” research project, which aims to identify how local organisations can move towards financial sustainability and away from foreign aid dependency. Megan has previous research experience in Cambodia and Ethiopia as a researcher with Plan International. She holds a BA in Philosophy and International Relations from Boston University and an MSc in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics, where she focussed on identity, land politics and root causes of conflict in the DRC. Contact: megan.renoir@peacedirect.org
Dimitri Kotsiras, Research and Advocacy Officer
Dimitri is responsible for supporting Peace Direct’s research projects, including Peace Insight and Local Voices for Peace, and runs Peace Direct’s advocacy activities in the UK. He has previously supported programme research and design at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), acted as a researcher and campaigner with Crisis Action and Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), and spent a year at the United Nations reporting on the agenda of the UN Security Council. He holds a BA in Political Science from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and an MA in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London, where his dissertation focused on the nexus between peacebuilding and natural resource governance in South Sudan. Contact: dimitri.kotsiras@peacedirect.org
Joel Gabri, Peace Technology Programme Officer
Joel supports the web infrastructure and development of the Peace Insight and Peace Direct websites. He also leads on our work looking at how technology can support local peacebuilders, including advanced approaches to mapping and incident reporting and monitoring. Joel has a degree in Peace & Conflict Studies and Politics, with his final year dissertation focusing on how the Internet can be used to promote and assist conflict resolution. Contact: joel.gabri@peacedirect.org
Nathan Louise, Database Officer
Nathan is responsible for processing all the donations we receive, data analysis and office logistics . Previously he was a Warehouse Manager for Foodbank and has research experience in the connection between public ill health and violent conflict. He holds a Mathematics degree from the University of Warwick. Contact: nathan.louise@peacedirect.org
Sara Torrelles, Programme Development Officer
Sara helps our partners secure funding from Trusts and Foundations and supports the development of their programmes. Before joining Peace Direct, Sara worked for the Commonwealth Foundation and the Catalan Government in London. She also spent two years in Sweden, where she worked for the Spanish Embassy in Stockholm. She holds a BA degree in Political Science from the University of Barcelona, a postgraduate course in African Studies from Uppsala University and an MSc in International Development from Birkbeck College London, where she focused on gender issues in complex humanitarian emergencies. Contact: sara.torrelles@peacedirect.org
Lizzie Helps, Fundraising Officer
Lizzie has over four years experience as a fundraiser and spent five years teaching in Brazil and Japan. Lizzie holds a BA in Sociology & Education and an MA in Development Studies from Leeds University. Contact: Lizzie.Helps@peacedirect.org
Lena Elhibir, Communications Officer
Lena is responsible for Peace Direct’s digital marketing and communications. She manages the running of the Peace Direct website and all social media channels, and produces all print publications. She is jointly responsible for the blog content on the Peace Insight website. Lena holds a BA in International Relations from Queen Mary University of London, and spent a year studying political science at the University of Miami in the US. Before joining Peace Direct Lena worked as Senior Marketing Executive at Shard Financial Media, and had previously worked in Brand Communications for the De Beers Group of Companies, and other leading private sector firms. She has several years of experience in varied communications in different sectors. Contact: lena.elhibir@peacedirect.org
Sarah Phillips, Communications Officer
Sarah is jointly responsible for Peace Direct’s digital marketing and communications. She manages the running of the Peace Direct website and all social media channels, and produces all print publications. She is jointly responsible for the blog content on the Peace Insight website. Sarah previously worked in Mexico with the British Council, and before joining Peace Direct was working for an international social justice charity as Communications and Projects Assistant. She has over three years experience writing and editing for online communications. Sarah holds a BA in French and Spanish from Newcastle University and an MA in International Relations from the Central European University. Contact: sarah.phillips@peacedirect.org
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Dr Scilla Elworthy is a distinguished activist for peace and has worked on peace related issues for over 30 years. In 1982 Dr Elworthy founded the Oxford Research Group, dedicated to researching defence-decision making and developing effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers and their critics. For this work she was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003. From 2005 to 2007 Dr Elworthy helped to set up The Elders Initiative and acted as an advisor to Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Richard Branson. 
