David J. Smith's Page

What motivated you to become involved in peace and conflict resolution?

Early on in my career I was a divorce lawyer and increasingly came to realize that litigation only furthered the suffering for many families, particularly when it came to chlidren. By luck, I learned about mediation and received training and never looked back.

Please feel free to provide a short bio about yourself (no more than 3 paragraphs)

I am a senior program officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, DC where I focus on supporting the efforts in higher and secondary education in teaching about international conflict resolution and peacebuilding. I have a strong interest in particular in supporting community college efforts - where the "masses" go to college. I feel strongly that peace and conflict education has become an elite area dominated by grad programs and liberal arts schools.

Before joining USIP, I was a community college professor at Harford Community College in Maryland. I also taught at Goucher College near Baltimore.

I live in Rockville, Maryland, USA with my wife and two children.

Please list the countries and/or regions in which you have direct and significant expertise

I taught (peace studies and conflict resolution) as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia.

What is your current country of residence?

USA

What is your current job (and organization) and/or where and what field are you studying?

Senior Program Officer, U.S. Institute of Peace

How many years professional experience do you have?

3-5

What is your personal or organizational website?

http://www.usip.org/specialists/david-j-smith

Which are your primary sectoral areas of expertise?

Civil Society, Conflict Resolution, Education, Youth

Which are your primary skills areas?

Program Administration, Training, Intervention