Lakshitha Saji Prelis serves as the Associate Director of the Institute. He is currently involved in several peacebuilding, conflict resolution and coexistence initiatives both in the United States and abroad.
Mr. Prelis has over 15 years experience working with youth in various conflict affected environments. Some of the experiences include addressing alternatives to gang life in Los Angeles, working with street children from Northern Uganda, and enhancing youth capacities in Nepal to programming for marginalized and conflict affected youth in Sri Lanka, assessing Thai-Burma border issues for youth, training in youth leadership in the Republic of Georgia and Abkhazia, and strengthening youth-led organizational capacity in Cambodia. He has over seven years of experience in designing conflict sensitive training programs (in the US ) and country programs and projects (in Sri Lanka , Nepal , Thai-Burma Border, Georgia-Abkhazia, and Cambodia ). He has over 18 years of combined developing country experience from countries like Sri Lanka , Nigeria , Philippines , and Nepal . Mr. Prelis has dedicated his academic and professional career to strengthening youth capacities for peace, and providing technical expertise in inter-generational peacebuilding and conflict-sensitive development practice in conflict and disaster-affected settings. His more than seven years of experience at American University have resulted in the development of curriculum programs in conflict and post-conflict areas targeting human rights, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Outside of his work at the university, Mr. Prelis has served as an advisor to governments and governmental agencies from countries such as Nepal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Uganda, developing training programs, drafting policy frameworks, and designing community participation programs. He also has over 10 years experience working with donor and non-profit organizations—including with UNICEF and USAID—to focus on coordination, beneficiary accountability, conflict sensitive humanitarian practice, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Mr. Prelis obtained his Mater's Degree in International Peace & Conflict Resolution with a Concentration in International Law from the School of International Service at American University.
Saji also serves as the Executive Director for the Center for Peace Building International.
Suzanne French serves as the Program Associate for the Institute. She earned her Bachelors Degree from the School of International Service at American University in 2006. She has coordinated the 2007 and 2008 Summer Professional Training Programs for PDI as well as a USAID-funded exchange program for Georgians and Abkhaz in media and civil society professions. Suzanne manages many of the day-to-day operations of the Peacebuilding & Development Institute, including marketing and web design, writing and editing, finances, and PDI's corps of talented and passionate interns. Her interests include leadership development, international and domestic race relations, ethnic conflict in the Middle East, human trafficking, and the role of the religious in global affairs.
Email: sfrench@american.edu
Telephone: (202) 885-2018
