Areas of Expertise
Conflict Prevention; Conflict Resolution; Democracy, Political Participation, and Governance; rnally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees; Long-Term Post-Conflict Reconstruction
Biography
At age ten, Philister Baya Lawiri walked with her family for 35 days through the forests of southern Sudan to escape violence. She traces her desire to build peace to her years as a refugee in Uganda and as a displaced person in Khartoum. Today she chairs South Sudan’s Civil Service Commission, promoting democratic values within the country’s newly formed government. Prior to South Sudan’s 2011 secession, she was one of only two women on Sudan’s National Electoral Commission, the nine-member national body appointed to govern the 2010 general elections. She participated in the 2009 South-South Dialogue Conference in Nairobi and has facilitated discourse and understanding among South Sudanese community leaders including politicians, tribal chiefs, and clergy members. Ms. Lawiri chairs Southern Women Solidarity for Peace and Development, a network of women’s groups established to assist women and children displaced by the conflict. She has also served on the board of directors of the Almanar Voluntary Organization and on the executive committee of the Sudan Humanitarian Organization for Relief and Development. She is one of ten authors of the book, "The Tragedy of Reality: Southern Women Appeal for Peace," and has authored articles featured in the Khartoum Monitor. Ms. Lawiri holds a master’s degree in peace and development studies from the University of Juba. (1/2012)