Maria Jessop

Maria Jessop is a senior program officer in the Education and Training Center/International where she develops and implements education and training programs in conflict resolution, intergroup dialogue, peacebuilding, human rights and civic education primarily for Iraqi educators, civil society leaders, and government officials.  Jessop’s work at the Institute has also included training peacekeepers in Rwanda and Senegal in negotiation, training educators in Afghanistan on teaching peacebuilding, and providing advanced mediation skills training to OSCE mission personnel in Kosovo.

Before coming to USIP, Jessop contracted as a mediator, trainer, and cross-cultural specialist with federal, educational and community-based organizations in New York, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica.  From 2005-07, she managed the office of the Mohammed Said Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace at American University.  Also while at American, Jessop founded and led The Dialogue Development Group which engages the university community in facilitated intergroup dialogues on topics related to social identities, differences and inequalities.

Maria Jessop was raised internationally and served in the Peace Corps in St. Lucia (1994-96).  She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University. 

Publications:

•    “The Ripe Moment for Civil Society” (co-author) International Negotiation: A Journal of Theory and Practice (2008).
•    “Dialogue Education at American University” (co-author) Voices in Dialogue (2007).
 

Available on usip.org

Developing Peace and Human Rights Educators in Iraq.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 In The Field, September, 2009