December 2008:

As a Crisis, Stabilization and Governance (CSG) Officer in USAID, I assist in the planning, analysis, negotiation, implementation, and evaluation of USAID emergency, crisis, transition, humanitarian assistance, food assistance and democracy and governance (includes rule of law, transitional governance, electoral processes in situations of conflict, peace-building through civil society organizations, security sector reform, demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR)) programs. As a CSG Officer in USAID's Foreign Service, I anticipate serving most of my career overseas in countries affected by conflict, complex emergencies, natural disasters, and transitions in governance. My first assignment overseas will begin mid-2009 in Kenya.  

Manager of Peacebuilding Project for Youth Care International

March 2009: I am just employed in CARE International, North Western Balkans Country Office in Sarajevo. I am happy for this job as manager of a peacebuilding project for youth, the first one in the area of Srebrenica, supporting the efforts of brave young people ready to work for peace.

Country Representative with Mennonite Central Committee

I am currently co-country representative (with Randy) with the Mennonite Central Committee doing administrative and peacebuilding work in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia and the region of Kosova.  

A native of Jajce, Bosnia - Herzegovina, I also worked with relief and peacebuilding projects in 1994-1996, during and immediately following the war in this country. I have also worked as a facilitator and trainer with Seeds of Peace and with the STAR Project (Seminar on Trauma and Awareness and Recovery) for religious leaders at Eastern Mennonite University.

Country Representative with the Mennonite Central Committee

Amela and I are currently co-country representatives with the Mennonite Central Committee doing administrative and peacebuilding work in Bosnia-Herzegovina , Serbia , Croatia and the region of Kosova.

  Formerly, I worked in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995-1996. Since 1999 I also taught classes in social movements, and I have been a trainer and consultant to peacebuilding projects in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

I am in my third year at the University of Melbourne in Ph.D. studies. My doctoral studies are in the School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies. My thesis topic is “Contributions of Citizens: Peacebuilding in Croatia.”

May 2008

Last summer I concluded my work in Bolivia and returned to the U.S. where Michel Remi Njiki and I were married on September 1 st,2007  We moved to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain soon after our wedding.  I continue to teach distance learning courses with Eastern University in CCGPS (the Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies).  I also work part-time with a development and education organization here in Spain called Madre Coraje.  I am in charge of coordinating and implementing workshops on peace, equality and care of the earth in the local public school system.  Aside from this I work part-time teaching English.  In my free time I am writing children's stories, studying French, singing in the cathedral's choir and for the first time in my life, I'm in a Bridge club! 

Michel is finishing his doctorate in international immigration law.  He also works in the International Relations department of the University of Cadiz and is teaching 80 hours this semester on international humanitarian law.  In December, 2008, we will travel to Cameroon for our second wedding celebration with many of Michel's family and friends in Yaoundé and in Douala.  In the future if any of you are traveling through Spain please drop in! 

2/1/07

I am living in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and working with Mennonite Central Committee/MCC.  I work in the peacebuilding program.  We work with church pastors, religious leaders, and other NGO's working in the peacebuilding field. 

Last October I met with  Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, for a few seconds (smile); time enough to hand him a copy of Lederach's Building Peace. 

This is a time of ferment, not only in Bolivia, but in the region, and that entails some tension.  There's much reason for hope even as we're dealing with some difficult issues externally in our environment as well as internally in our organization.  We had our first  STAR seminar this spring with religious leaders, which gave us all a lot of hope and space to look at how to heal. 

Another exciting thing from this past year: last summer (2006) I taught two courses with Eastern University in Ecuador and Brazil.  It was a wonderful experience, and I met many new friends through Eastern's School of Leadership and Development.  I hadn't ever been to South America before this past year, and I find the diversity among S.A. countries very intriguing.  I'm attaching a picture that is from the Brazil class. 

January 2008:

I am a PhD candidate (Development Studies) at Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands. My research is focusing on how the space of development work can be utilized to bring about reconciliation among grassroots while the civil wars are still continued at track one level.

The idea is to find an interim reconciliation process while the violence is on (in civil war situations) that will strengthen peoples capacities to make effective contributions to national level peace building and build a people's peace movement. Working with all the levels in the society of Sri Lanka, I am convinced that we need to do more work at the grassroots level to influence the corrupted, profit making civil society and track 1.

September 2004:

I am working for German Technical Cooperation in Sri Lanka, as an advisor and lead trainer for a project called FLICT (Facilitating Local Initiative for Conflict Transformation) in their capacity building endeavors. We are running a program for 30 mid-career and career professionals from various backgrounds and age groups from all across Sri Lanka, equipping them with knowledge in conflict transformation. Our goal is to enable them to coach local organizations in far away corners in Sri Lanka in doing better peacebuilding work so that projects reach the maximum level of impact.

So far, I have been designing the modules on various aspects of peacebuilding and also lecturing and conducting training sessions as the lead trainer for many sessions. I am also helping FLICT to carry out evaluations on their previous engagements with various partner organizations.

Weekends, I again work as a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo (where I was teaching before I entered the MA program), conducting a certificate program for new staff at the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs. The young staff think the solution to the problem in Sri Lanka is to fight against the LTTE. So I have begun the process of “positive and peaceful” brainwashing them with my learnings at EMU! From recently I began lecturing at the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the same university for a group of post graduate students, who are enthusiastically listening to my stories of conflict transformation, restorative justice and etc.

This fall I also joined a training team conducting a program for Buddhist monks. This is a great opportunity as they are a controversial group in Sri Lanka’s peace building efforts. Hopefully, a few of them can become positive voices against the current politicized set of monks who appear on the TV and newspapers on an every day basis.

When hearing the feedback from my participants and my senior foreign colleagues about my work, I feel very happy and appreciate more my study and learning at EMU.

Director of Bridge Builders in London, UK

I co-founded Bridge Builders in 1996 and returned to the organization as director following my M.A. in conflict transformation.  

Bridge Builders serves in the ministry of peacemaking and reconciliation, seeking to transform conflict within the church. It is a program of London Mennonite Centre. Bridge Builders provides training, mediation, consultancy and related services for all Christian churches and denominations in Britain . Presently, Bridge Builders has a staff of three to working with me. For further information on Bridge Builders see www.menno.org.uk .  

I am currently working on a graduate degree, a Doctorate of Ministry, due to finish in 2011!

I continue to listen to Bruce Cockburn’s music, to follow Leeds Utd football club, and I've recently taken up tennis after a long break. My e-mail contact is alastairmckay@menno.org.uk .  

My family and I live in Muswell Hill in North London . Sue, an architect by training, is heavily involved in a major building redevelopment at the Methodist Church where we worship, and continues to pursue her artistic interests. Eleanor (born 1995) recently started secondary school; her main interests are sport and music, especially violin, oboe and choir. James (born 1997) enjoys soccer, reading books, making bows and arrows, and playing the trumpet.