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CEIA is directed and managed by Matt Waldman, who has diverse international experience. He currently serves as an Adviser to the UN Special Envoy for Yemen and has previously served as an Adviser to the UN Special Representative for Somalia (2016-2018), UN Special Envoy for Syria (2014-15), and the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan (2011-12). He has undertaken mediation work in the Middle East and Africa with the European Institute of Peace and Inter Mediate. He is a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School and was previously a Fellow at Cambridge University, Tufts University, and Harvard’s Kennedy School.
Rahel Freist-Held provides advice and support to CEIA in a range of areas. A development specialist, Rahel was actively involved in researching and developing CEIA’s training for diplomats and practitioners. Rahel co-founded the Berlin think tank Polis180 for Foreign and European Affairs and headed the peace and security programme. She has an MPhil from Cambridge University, where she conducted research on the role of trust and diplomacy during the Cold War.

Claire Yorke Claire Yorke has provided research and analytical support to CEIA. Claire has a doctorate from King’s College London and was non resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Her research has focused on the role of empathy in diplomacy.
Profile Picture - Claire Akkaoui Claire Akkaoui has provided research assistance to CEIA. She has an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy at the University of Oxford.
Rob Pinney Rob Pinney has provided support and advice on CEIA’s website. Rob is a documentary photographer and researcher, focussing on how visual media shapes public apprehension of wars and conflicts.


Expert Advisers

CEIA has a panel of highly respected advisers from diverse fields and disciplines, who give advice and CEIA’s policy work and activities. The panel includes: Pamela Aall, Mariano Aguirre, Scott Atran, Simon Baron-Cohen, Robert Bordone, Marina Cantacuzino, Martin Griffiths, Rolf Holmboe, Robert Jervis, Michael Keating, Roman Krznaric, Gabrielle Rifkind, Rebecca Saxe, Steven Pinker and Steven Walt. A full list of CEIA’s Advisers can be found here.

Associates

CEIA Associates are actively involved in our network of experts and practitioners, share their views on our website and are invited to participate in CEIA workshops on international challenges. Our Associates are accomplished professionals in relevant fields ranging from diplomacy and conflict resolution to psychology and neuroscience, as well as those with backgrounds in human rights, humanitarianism, journalism, anthropology, religion and environmentalism. Our Associates are listed here.

Partners

CEIA collaborates with several world class research and conflict resolution organisations, including Chatham House – The Royal Institute of International Affairs, The European Institute of Peace (EIP), the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre. CEIA is in the process of identifying distinguished organisations with which it can collaborate in the US, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America.

Opportunities 

Presently, everyone in the CEIA team works part time on a voluntary basis.

We are open to applications from graduates who are interested in supporting our research efforts, as well as interns with relevant masters degrees. Interested applicants should write to info [at] centerforempathy.org with a covering letter, CV and two samples of written work.