六九色堂

Elana Aquino is the director of the Conflict Resolution Program at 六九色堂 and has more than 20 years of experience in international development and peacebuilding. Her passion and commitment to being of service as a practitioner and academic in the field of global peacebuilding are the through line in her career. She has experience in both international development and diplomacy with a portfolio of strategic and operational leadership and impact in these areas. She is the former U.S. executive director at Peace Direct.

In Sudan, Aquino supported community-driven solutions for the return of internally displaced South Sudanese people. As a peacebuilding program officer, she focused on supporting locally driven women鈥檚 empowerment initiatives, recognizing women as a crucial factor in solidifying peace gains. In Kenya, Aquino was a researcher and then head of the key coordination secretariat between the government of Kenya and 17 international development agencies. She led the production of the national joint assistance strategy for Kenya. She organized the first National Development Partnership Forum in Kenya, co-chaired by the prime minister and the regional head of the World Bank, with key participation from U.N. agencies in the region.

Aquino is an International Career Advancement Program fellow; a fellow of the International Peace and Security Institute; a former board chair of Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation; a board member at World Learning; a member of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security; and a Peace and Security Executive Leadership fellow with the MacArthur Foundation-funded Impact Center. She is passionate about global peacebuilding, conflict transformation and prevention, and poverty reduction.

Aquino has a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Yale University and a master鈥檚 degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.