About us
Innovations in Peacebuilding International
Innovations in Peacebuilding International (IPI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that accompanies and invests in locally-led peace efforts in war-afflicted countries through partnerships, education, networking, and research.
Our History
IPI was founded in 2009 by Dr. Charles Davidson with the mission to affect sustainable change in war-affected areas. Since its inception, IPI has grown from a one-person operation with help from volunteers to a global community, having affected change in 5 war-impacted countries.Â
Our Mission
The mission of Innovations in Peacebuilding International (IPI) is to accompany local efforts in war-affected countries toward creative and sustainable peace solutions which afford opportunity for all.
Our Vision
IPI envisions a world where conflict is solved through nonviolent means, where child soldiery is a distant and outlawed practice of the past, where war-affected areas have since developed into sustainable, prospering, and safe communities experiencing positive peace.
Our Approach
Accompanying peacebuilders in war-affected countries
IPI’s work aims to create independent, lasting, and sustainable peace in war-affected areas. To do this, we identify local community partners and leaders to ideate and implement solutions. Examples of our work have included micro-finance loans, a revenue-generating poultry farm system, investing in collaboratives, peace research, facilitating peacebuilding dialogues, assisting the demobilization of armed group members and child soldiers, and more.
 IPI conducts both peacemaking and peacebuilding, which are defined as:
Peacemaking seeks solutions for active conflict between parties. It provides short-term solutions and agreements for the immediate halting of conflict.
Peacebuilding fosters social, economic, and political structures which lead to long-term stability and opportunity for both individuals and communities.
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We take on projects based on the following guidelines:
1.
Select a location facing active conflict or the repercussions of recent conflict.
2.
Identify local partners who are already leading peacebuilding efforts with local expert teams.
3.
Co-develop a project with local partners that undertakes peacemaking and/or peacebuilding strategies by piloting new and innovative approaches or accelerating existing programming that is already effective.Â
4.
Exit with a sustainable strategy for continued impact through local leadership.
How our methodology is different:
1.
We lead with listening
2.
We accompany local peacebuilders
3.
We develop self-sustaining solutions
Meet the
IPI Team
Founder & President
Dr. Charles Davidson
Dr. Charles E. Davidson has worked in peacebuilding his entire adult life. From his early 20s, he began traveling to war-torn and conflict-affected countries to discover better ways to understand dynamic approaches to peace partnerships. After founding IPI in 2009, Davidson has lived at the intersection of peacebuilding practice and scholarship, earning his Ph.D. from the Carter School at George Mason University, where he now serves as Research Faculty. Davidson is married to Abby, the Research Director at the Aspen Institute’s Network of Development Entrepreneurs.
sr. director of african operations
Rémy Nsengiyumva
Mr. Rémy Nsengiyumva is a Master’s Degree Holder in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid and has been with IPI since 2014. Mr. Nsengiyumva is passionate about seeing people living in harmony. He served in a local Burundian Organization for 22 years in a peacebuilding capacity through community empowerment and child protection. Joining IPI has broadened his scope as a peace artisan beyond his own country. Mr. Nsengiyumva has a family with six children, including twins.
program manager
Nuria List
Nuria List graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Mediterranean Security from the University of Malta and holds a Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. She manages IPI programs in the DRC, Burundi, and South Sudan. She also leads the Young Women’s Peacebuilding Fellowship. Nuria is passionate about promoting women’s involvement in peacebuilding and exploring approaches to urban peacebuilding.
OPERATIONS manager
Liz Westacott
Liz joined IPI as the Operations Manager in December 2024. She oversees financial
management, leads communications, and provides general administrative support to the IPI team. Liz has a bachelor’s degree in business and a background in bookkeeping. She is excited to contribute her skills to an organization that is dedicated to making a positive impact
and driving meaningful change in the world.
FINANCE & HR ADMINSTRATOR
Sarah Smith
Sarah began her position with IPI in May 2021, assisting with administrative tasks, and that role quickly developed into managing finances. She has been an administrative assistant at an orthodontics practice and a loan servicing agent at Arvest Bank.
Smith and her husband Kyle have been supporters of Charles and IPI since before its inception.
Country Director, DRC
Simon Kangeta
Mr. Simon Kangeta is a Social Sciences and Anthropology graduate from the University of Lubumbashi. Kangeta also holds a degree in judicial law from the University of Namur. With over 20 years of experience in the humanitarian world and his knowledge of armed conflicts in East DRC, Kangeta provides excellent expertise in the financial, administrative, and logistical management of local and national organizations. He is a member of the steering committee of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in Humanitarian Action and an active member of a task force of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Groups.
PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Mannat Ahluwalia
Mannat will soon graduate with dual bachelors degrees in International Affairs and International Business, with a regional concentration in Asia from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Her global outlook, shaped by experiences in India and the U.S., provides a strong foundation for addressing complex international challenges. She is dedicated towards bridging cultures and driving social impact through innovative approaches to international cooperation and community development.
Meet
Our Board
Dr. Charles Davidson
Dr. Charles E. Davidson has worked in peacebuilding his entire adult life. From his early 20s, he began traveling to war-torn and conflict-affected countries to discover better ways to understand dynamic approaches to peace partnerships. After founding IPI in 2009, Davidson has lived at the intersection of peacebuilding practice and scholarship, earning his Ph.D. from the Carter School at George Mason University, where he now serves as Research Faculty. Davidson is married to Abby, the Research Director at the Aspen Institute’s Network of Development Entrepreneurs.
Sara Salama Mauldin
Sara is an international attorney with a background in French civil law, English common law, and international human rights law. A member of the New York State Bar, she currently serves as Associate General Counsel for Human Rights Watch, where she provides strategic legal counsel on complex global issues. Previously, she headed the legal department for Egypt’s largest international development organization focused on empowering women and children through education. In her free time, Sara can be found spending time with her family, hiking, dancing, reading and traveling.
Brandon Clark
Brandon Clark is the Global Head of Talent Development at Adobe overseeing global talent development strategy for Adobe’s 29,000 employees, including Skills Development and Executive Leadership Development functions, as well as working with regional talent leads across EMEA, APAC, and India on executing localized talent development initiatives. Prior to joining Adobe, Brandon led product and technology learning and enablement at Workday, where he architected the technical and product manager skills strategy for the company’s largest division. Before that, he held multiple talent development and HR-focused roles at Walmart and its subsidiary brands, creating leadership effectiveness programs for high-potential talent at the company, as well as leading ethics and compliance training and managing HR communications. Brandon holds advanced degrees in Organizational Communication, is an award-winning communicator through IABC and is very active in his church. He currently resides in Dublin, California with his wife and three children. In his free time, he enjoys playing squash, reading and playing the guitar.
Linda Mathes
Linda is the Special Advisor for the Bipartisan Leadership Project (BLP) which equips public servants and a new generation of leaders with fundamental skills necessary to work collaboratively for the common good. She supports the BLP’s partnership with the Political Leadership Academy at George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. She manages the community Working Group assisting Fairfax County Public Schools in creating the John Lewis leadership program to prepare students for public service and leadership roles. Linda also serves as Executive Mentor for the Global Good Fund and 2020/21 Board member and Treasurer for the International Women’s Forum-DC.
Linda served as CEO of the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region until June 2020 when she wrapped up her distinguished career with the Red Cross where she served at the local, regional and national levels beginning in 1973. She has served on several boards and received numerous awards for her accomplishments in leadership development, team building, resource mobilization, board engagement, and strategic partnerships with the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
Hon. Paul Ray
Hon. Paul Ray graduated from Harvard Law School, where he served on the Harvard Law Review, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Hillsdale College.
He has worked as the Administrator at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget, and the Senate confirmed him in 2020. Previously, he served as a counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor and is an attorney specializing in administrative appellate law. Ray is now the Director at the Heritage Foundation’s Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.
Tolulope Odetola, M.A.
Tolu Odetola has always been passionate about people empowerment, especially in developing countries. She obtained her Master’s in Agricultural Development Economics from the University of Reading. Odetola worked briefly with the Nigerian Academy of Science, leading the project on national strategies to promote breastfeeding practices, a project funded by Save the Children. She has also worked as a Senior Researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Abuja, Nigeria, on the improvement of agrarian practices. Currently, Odetola runs SHAKARA ESSENCE, a small business that sources unique fabrics from Africa to make custom-designed items that economically empower widows and orphans in Nigeria.
