Student Peace Alliance
PO Box 27601
Washington, District of Columbia
202-684-2553
PO Box 27601
Washington, District of Columbia
202-684-2553
Contact SPA
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Student Peace Alliance | PO Box 27601 | Washington, District of Columbia | 202-684-2553
Lauren Abramson is a psychologist who has worked in distressed communities for the past 25 years. She is currently Founder and Executive Director of the Community Conferencing Center (
Sheriff Baca, as the elected Chief Law Enforcement Officer of Los Angeles County, commands the largest Sheriff’s Department in the United States with a budget of 2.5 billion dollars. He leads more than 18,000 sworn and professional staff. The Sheriff’s Department is the law enforcement provider to 40 incorporated cities, 140 unincorporated communities, nine community colleges, and hundreds of thousands of daily commuters of the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Rapid Rail Transit District. More than four million people are directly protected by the Sheriff’s Department.
Andy Barker has been Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission Coordinator since 2005, following stints as a farmer, a teacher, and a writer. At Ben & Jerry’s, Andy works within the Social Mission Team and across various departments to bring the company’s core values to life, including the promotion of social and economic justice, peace, and sustainable agriculture. He has worked on Fair Trade sourcing initiatives; activist campaigns against rBGH and cloned animals in the food supply; and various nonprofit partnerships in support of sane federal budget priorities, small family farms, and stopping climate change. Every day at work is a new challenge to wake up the spirit of radical reform, dress it in respectable clothes, and send it out into the world with a sense of purpose. Andy lives in a small house in Burlington, Vermont, with his wife Ana and his daughters, Emma and Tess.
What if our spirituality was our words; if meditation, our relationships; If our practice was our life. These, and other questions have driven Matthew Blom to search the world to discover, live, and share his findings. It is his honor to share one set of findings called Compassionate or NonViolent Communication: A Language of Life. And to have a lot of fun along the way.
For nearly 17 years, L. Randolph Carter has worked with children and youth in several parts of the world in peace education, conflict resolution, trauma counseling, self esteem building, and reintegration programs. Randolph’s work have included serving as Child Protection Coordinator of the International Rescue Committee - Uganda, Head of the Children and Youth Division of Search For Common Ground, Co-Chair for the Washington Network on Children and Armed Conflict and co-Founder of the National Association of Palava Managers, a Liberian youth initiative that conducts conflict resolution and peacebuilding work in schools and communities in Liberia. As a consultant, he has provided technical assistance to organizations such as the The United States Institute of Peace, USAID (Displaced Children and Orphans fund), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the US Department of Labor (International Labor Affairs Bureau).
Britt Cox is the Primary Prevention Specialist with Hope Alliance, a Williamson County nonprofit that provides services to those whose lives have been affected by family and sexual violence. She has been part of the Williamson County, Texas community for the past seven years as a student, educator and advocate. After graduating from Southwestern University in 2007 with a B.A. in Religious Studies, Britt began her work as a prevention specialist in the substance abuse prevention field, facilitating psycho-educational groups to prevent alcohol and other drug use among children. She joined Hope Alliance in 2008 as the Family Violence Prevention Specialist and now serves as the leader of the Primary Prevention Team, where staff focuses on affecting the individual to larger society by facilitating educational groups in local schools, providing presentations and information to the local community, and helping foster beliefs and social norms surrounding preventing interpersonal violence. Britt also leads the “Partners in Prevention Coalition”, a community partnership whose mission it is to educate and engage the community in interpersonal violence prevention efforts that generate safety and self respect. She also serves on multiple community partnership groups such as the Georgetown Project Collaborative, The Eastern Williamson County Interagency Council, and the LifeSteps: Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition.
Zoë Cooprider is the US Program Manager for the Institute for Economics & Peace, which produces the Global Peace Index, an index that ranks the nations of the world by their peacefulness and identifies some of the drivers of peace. Having joined the GPI team in 2008, Zoë was also the Program Manager for the Alliance for Peacebuilding through 2009, where she helped produce the Global Symposium of Peaceful Nations and the Collaboration Connections series. Zoë previously served as a Research Assistant at the US Institute of Peace where she helped launch the center on Economies and Conflict. During her tenure at USIP, she contributed to special reports on post-conflict employment generation and conflict-sensitive infrastructure planning and published a brief on the political economy of revitalizing state-owned industries. Zoë has also worked at Search for Common Ground, the Business Humanitarian Forum (Geneva, Switzerland), and the Union of Concerned Scientists. In addition, she has experience as the manager of a high-end restaurant, has bicycled across the US, and has walked across Spain.
Chic Dambach is President and CEO of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, a network of organizations and professionals dedicated to building sustainable peace and security worldwide. Previously, he was president of Operation Respect, a New York based organization to combat bullying, ridicule and violence in schools worldwide. He also served as president and CEO of the National Peace Corps Association. He has been a featured speaker at US Department of State sponsored national and regional “Town Meetings”, and he is a frequent speaker on college campuses and at national conferences. He has written two books as well as chapters in several other books plus magazine articles. Chic formed a team of returned Peace Corps Volunteers to work informally with the leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia to help end their border war. The team was credited with “creating the momentum and the spirit which made this historic achievement (the peace treaty) possible.” The team also worked with rebel leaders and the government of the Congo helping them form a coalition government and ending the civil war. In addition, Chic was an official U.S. delegate to the United Nations World Food Conference in Rome in 2000. He served as an official in the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus at his alma mater Oklahoma State University, and he has an MBA from Wake Forest University.
Veronica Delgado-Savage is the Chief Program Officer at Southwest Key Programs, a private, non-profit agency established in 1987 with the specific aim of providing community-based alternatives to detention and incarceration for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Ms. Delgado-Savage possesses over 20 years of experience working in the mental health, child welfare and juvenile justice field. She currently develops and implements community-based treatment programs for juvenile justice involved youth and families. Ms. Delgado-Savage received her B.A. in Psychology and Masters of Science in Social Work with a specialty in Direct Practice from the University of Texas Austin and was an Advanced Clinical Fellow at the University of Texas Medical Branch Psychiatric Division. She maintains her certification as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
With hauntingly beautiful harmonies and powerful acoustic instrumentals that deliver the energy and strength of their convictions, emma's revolution writes songs that become traditions. Peace, Salaam, Shalom is sung around the world and has been called the anthem of the anti-war movement. If I Give Your Name won Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the duo's music has been featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" and Pacifica's "Democracy Now!" 
Harriet Fulbright has spent the majority of her adult life in the fields of education and the arts. From 1997 until 2000 she was the Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, whose mission is to enhance cultural life in America. Prior to this position she served as “Unofficial Ambassador” for the 50th anniversary of the Fulbright Program and traveled to numerous countries on the major continents and throughout the United States to speak about the importance of international education exchange and the pivotal role played by the Fulbright Program. Harriet has taught English in Korea, the former Soviet Union and Germany and served as the first Assistant Director of the Congressional Arts Caucus. For the last decade her lecture tours have been worldwide and she has been invited to speak on such diverse topics as the vital role of international education exchange, arts education and its importance, the life of Senator J. William Fulbright, leadership and human progress, September 11th and its impact, and life as a cancer patient.
Charles Gaby grew up playing music with his brother in Mississippi. When desegregation brought more awareness of world issues during his 6th grade year, he started writing poetry. Today Charles directs the Center for Creative Transformation in Fort Worth, Texas, which offers counseling, seminars and supportive groups addressing such issues as healing from divorce, preparing for marriage, enhancing intimate relationships, and effective parenting. He also directs the Institute for Restorative Communities. Through the IRC, Charles created Roots of Change, a group experience that introduces people to Affect Psychology and Restorative Practices, and offers opportunities for practical application of these new insights that can empower people to “be the change” they want to see in the world (Gandhi). The IRC also works in schools to promote Affect Psychology and Restorative Practices as components in effective education, and has plans underway for a program to implement the use of these methods in the juvenile justice system. Charles continues to write and record music and poetry.
Teny O. Gross is Executive Director of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, a pioneering organization that teaches the principles and practices of nonviolence locally, nationally and internationally. Its Nonviolence Streetworkers Program is widely recognized for stemming gang violence. The U.S. Conference of Mayors selected the Institute’s work as “best practice” in combating gang violence, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, R.I. has selected it as “Outstanding Philanthropic Organization for 2009.” The Institute received Citizens Bank/NBC 10’s first “Champion in Action” award for nonviolence, Metlife Foundation’s Community Police Partnership award for “Gang Prevention and Youth Safety,” R.I. Minority Police Association Community Service award, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission Recognition award. Teny is the recipient of an Institute of Global Leadership Alumni Award from Tufts University where he earned his B.F.A. From Harvard he received an M.T.S. degree and a fellowship in Strategic Perspective in Nonprofit Management from the Business School. Earlier Teny had been a Program Coordinator for the Ella J. Baker House Youth Focused Community Initiative, a participant in the National Ten-Point Coalition, and a Senior Streetworker for the City of Boston. He is a veteran of the Israeli Defense Force.
Emily Hine brings 20 years of experience in fundraising, philanthropy and public relations. Over the course of her career, she has helped raise $150 million for non-profit organizations. Ms. Hine has spent 1/3 of her career in the nonprofit sector, 1/3 of her career in the for-profit technology sector (Microsoft Corporation) and 1/3 of her career serving as consultant/bridge between the two sectors.
Melanie E. Kawano is the Program Manager of the BEFORE Project, a partnership of the Alliance for Peacebuilding and swisspeace. Prior to joining BEFORE in 2008, Melanie taught at a Northern Vietnamese university and worked at the International Career Advancement Program as the Program Coordinator, the Center for China-US Cooperation as the Program Manager and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). Most recently Ms. Kawano ran a grant program sponsored by a Fortune 20 company at the American Red Cross, national headquarters. Ms. Kawano attended Scripps College, receiving a BA in Psychology and International and Intercultural Studies, and the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, obtaining a MA in Political Theory and Conflict Resolution. Her research explores the generational affects of war on combatant versus non-combatants and ethics in humanitarian intervention. She has published poetry and academic material in psychology and international affairs. Active in community involvement, Melanie currently serves as the Vice-President on the Board of the International Career Advancement Association. Born and raised in Hawai’i, she studied French, Japanese, Vietnamese, Twi, Fanti, the piano, the ukulele and the harp.
Ameena Matthews doesn’t like to talk about herself, but she likes to talk about her work with CeaseFire. As a life-long Chicagoan, she was literally called to join the CeaseFire project, by fellow interrupter and friend James Highsmith, to mediate a potentially violent high school conflict at 79th street and Ashland, a very busy Chicago intersection. After successfully mediating that conflict, James called on Ameena again and again, knowing that her tough love and spirituality woke up young adults to the harm they were inflicting on themselves and their peers. As anyone who has met her knows, Ameena tells it like it is. She feels it’s a responsibility of hers to change the thinking surrounding violence by letting people know they have other options, and expecting everyone, including herself, to do better. In her eyes, Chicago is a beautiful and vibrant city, there are resources for everyone at risk; there is no reason for children to be dying.
Juan Pacheco is the East Coast Representative for Barrios Unidos/United Neighborhoods of Northern Virginia, a nonprofit organization that provides programs for youth to strengthen their community involvement and discourage their association with gangs. Pacheco, once a gang member who has turned his life around, is currently a George Mason student working toward his goal of becoming a pediatrician. Pacheco offers hope by exposing youth to the power of resiliency through utilizing adults and older youth who have themselves experienced and overcome the challenges young people face. Pacheco believes that drawing upon the resources of adults and older youth that have made it out of the “street life”, assists youth in choosing life-affirming behavior, positive self-esteem, constructive goals, supportive community, and cultural pride.
Carmen Perez serves as the National Organizing Director of The Gathering for Justice, which is building an intergenerational movement, rooted in history, cultures and nonviolent direct action to heal communities, build collective strength and generate an environment of hope and opportunity. She has served as a Probation officer, a founding member of the Girls Task Force, a board member for Barrios Unidos, and as a commissioner for the Santa Cruz County Latino Affairs Commission.
Marianne H. Perez is an educator and peacebuilder. She is on the board of New Yorkers for a Department of Peace and has served on the Peace Alliance Foundation’s staff. For the campaign, she organized roundtables and wrote a position paper on proven, effective violence prevention and conflict transformation techniques. Marianne offers workshops on conflict mapping, nonviolent conflict intervention, peace journalism and moving media towards a culture of peace for various student and activist groups. She is also a trained facilitator for the Jewish Dialogue Group which promotes constructive dialogue within Jewish communities about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other controversial issues.
COL Jeffrey D. Peterson is an Academy Professor of Economics in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy and responsible for West Point’s Economics program. He was commissioned into the Army from West Point in 1987 as an Armor officer with a BS in Civil Engineering. As an armor officer, he served in a variety of leadership and staff positions in the United States, Korea, Cuba, and the Middle East. Most recently, he served as the commander for a cavalry squadron based at Ft. Lewis, WA. While in command, the squadron deployed to Baghdad, Iraq and conducted counterinsurgency operations from July 2006 to September 2007 during the height of sectarian violence in Baghdad and the beginning of the “surge.” His experience in using economics as part of an overall plan to establish stability in his area of responsibility motivated his desire to research the military’s role in economic development in a post-conflict environment and the importance of economics as a component of successful counterinsurgency operations. He holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a PhD in Policy Analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School.
Eric Selbin is one of the leading “fourth generation” theorists of revolution. He is a professor of political science and university scholar at Southwestern University. From 2003 to 2006, Selbin also held a joint appointment as professor of peace and conflict studies at Umeå University in Sweden.
Michael Shank is the Communications Director for US Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15). From 2007-2008, Michael was the communications director at George Mason University's Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. At the University, Michael advised the Institute's conflict experts on strategic media and policy initiatives related to domestic and international conflicts.
Kobi is an Associate at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University (CRDC ). Kobi was born into a Hasidic family in Israel and moved to a settlement in the West Bank during his high school years. He was a member of the fundamentalist Kahana youth movement that promoted Jewish power and regularly encouraged its members to assault Palestinians. However, during his service in the Israeli army he became aware of the complexity of the conflict and began to open his mind to other perspectives. Today, he is a key Israeli advocate for the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP ), a Washington DC based American organization representing over sixty Palestinian and Israeli peace-building organizations for the purpose of establishing an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace patterned off the highly effective Fund for Northern Ireland. In his work, he draws on his experience of having lived in an ultra-religious Jewish community and his former membership in settler movements. His extensive medical training and experience in combat also influences his understandings of human psychology and physiology. His writing has been published in number of media outlets around the world. Kobi has lectured for various international organizations and universities, such as Stanford, Yale, Harvard, American University, and Oberlin, and has also appeared on several radio programs. Kobi is currently finishing his studies in Psychology, Religion and Cultural Studies.
Ben Thomson graduated from UCSD in 2005 with a BA in economics. He lived in Uganda from August to December of 2005, to implement and manage the Invisible Children Bracelet Campaign. Ben was crazy enough to take on this ambitious project, and we've seen the fruit of his labor. After returning from Uganda Ben played a crucial role with planning the 2006 Global Night Commute. He is an extensive world traveler throughout China, Europe, and now Africa. Currently, he oversees the entire Mission department of IC and has the management skills and capability to take us to the next level. His passions include surfing, camping, basketball, and mentoring high school students.
Tracy Velázquez is currently the Executive Director of the Justice Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit organization focused on reducing society’s overreliance on incarceration and finding just solutions to social problems. Under her direction, JPI has published a number of notable reports, including “The Costs of Confinement” and “Pruning Prisons,” which look at how states can reduce juvenile and adult criminal justice system costs and incarceration rates while improving public safety, and “The Release Valve,” a report on Maryland’s parole system. She came to JPI from the Vera Institute of Justice in New York City, where she also worked on criminal justice policy issues, including parole reform and improving alternatives to incarceration for drug offenses. Prior to that, Tracy lobbied for mental health policies and funding as the executive director of the Montana Mental Health Association. She has over 20 years’ experience working for and with non-profit organizations, and has also been active in elective and party politics. Tracy has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Masters in Public Administration from Montana State University.
Jes Ward has been involved with the PeaceJam Foundation for 14 years. Beginning her work for peace as a painfully shy and disengaged high school participant in Denver, Colorado, she grew through her PeaceJam experiences to now be the director of the Rocky Mountain PeaceJam regional office as well as the coordinator of PeaceJam’s Global Call to Action Campaign. She has worked with world leaders such as Desmond Tutu and Rigoberta Menchú Tum, and has coordinated national and international youth conferences ranging from 300-3500 participants from across the globe. She is featured in the 2002 PeaceJam book and documentary film and speaks nationally on the topics of inclusivity, suicide prevention, youth voice, and peace building.