When we think of historic peace deals, we envision world leaders shaking hands and signing a peace agreement in front of the press and cameras. Yet, many critical advances in international peace over the past decades have been driven by citizens, often behind the scenes, working for years to make the world a more peaceful place. What motivates them to take action? What strategies are most effective? As geopolitical tensions rise, the world’s leaders may be harder pressed to deliver on a peace agenda. Further, many of the institutions we built to manage conflicts around the world are struggling or being dismantled. In the future, we will likely increasingly rely on citizens to do the hard work of making peace. How can we help them be effective?
Cecily Brewer was until recently a Senior Expert with the United States Institute of Peace where she focused on international negotiations and peace processes. Previously, she was a career civil servant with the U.S. Department of State, working across four presidential administrations to shape strategic planning, Africa policy, and the U.S. approach to more than a dozen international conflicts. She served as the Vice President’s foreign policy advisor for Africa and as a member of the Secretary of State’s policy planning team. She was an advisor to the U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel region and was part of the U.S. mediation team for Sudan-South Sudan negotiations.
Part of our fall 2025 lecture series, "The Future of Citizenship."