I have been an ardent advocate for the prevention of mass atrocities for nearly two decades. I believe no one should be targeted because of who they are, where they come from, or what they believe in. As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor and someone who has befriended many survivors from several crises, preventing genocide and mass atrocities is deeply personal for me. I truly believe that we can prevent mass atrocities if we are willing to take the necessary steps to change how the international system operates.

Throughout my career, I have worked for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the United States, Rwanda, and South Sudan, and have done fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. I specialize in peacebuilding, conflict and atrocities prevention, and grassroots organizing, with a regional focus on Central East Africa and the MENA region.

My advocacy is centered on building what I call a “prevention-focused foreign policy.” I actively engage with the US government, Congress, the UN, and member states to influence policies that prioritize prevention. I build partnerships with locally-led civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and peacebuilders around the world. Additionally, I support diaspora networks in strategic planning, program development, and achieving their advocacy and organizing objectives.

As an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut and Georgetown University, I develop and teach courses on mass atrocities prevention and human rights at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Apart from my international work, I led cross-partisan advocacy programs, working with Republicans, Democrats, and independents to protect and improve democracy in the US. I have also led a high-level task force to push back against mis/disinformation, have been a democratic strategist, and served as the Policy Director for a Congressional campaign. 

I often write on topics related to building a prevention-focused foreign policy and provide analysis on current crises. I have been published in peer-reviewed journals and publications such as World Politics Review, The Conversation, The Progressive, The Nation, Responsible Statecraft, Inkstick, The Hill, The New Humanitarian, and the Huffington Post. And, I have been quoted as an expert in my field in various news outlets and publications. Below are links to some select publications.