+1 925 246-5558 or +1 925 303-3747

E-mail: Jan at Jan Passion1 at gmail dot com

Skype: JanPassion

Overview:

Available for consulting in crisis intervention, intra-group conflict, human resource, post-traumatic stress and debriefing, family support during emergencies and emergency accompaniments.

 

Strengths & Qualifications:

Leadership: Demonstrated ability to take initiative while utilizing creative and innovative means to build consensus and achieve goals in a variety of group and organizational contexts.  Experienced in organizational development, human resources, and crisis intervention. Strong background in intercultural communication.  Poses excellent facilitation, group leadership and training skills.  Highly empathic and intuitive with solid ability to synthesize, bringing issues and people together. 

International Experience: Have worked in the peacebuilding field in the following countries: Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Ghana, Palestine, Israel, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Thailand, Macedonia, Kenya, USA, Colombia, Guinea, South Africa, U.S.S.R. and India.  Worked and lived in Sri Lanka for 3 and half years.

Communication/Technology: Proven written and oral skills on a variety of levels.  Demonstrated ability to communicate well within organizations as well as representing organizations.  Possess and enjoy variety of IT related competencies as well as skills in social networking. 

Mediation/Crisis Intervention/Counseling: Certified mediator and Emergency Medical Technician.  Have broad counseling background as well as skills and training in crisis intervention.   Posses excellent background and experience in crisis situations – including medical emergencies, staff abductions, rapidly changing political environments and in escalating violence contexts.

 Professional Experience:

World Learning and the School for International Training (SIT), Brattleboro, Vermont

Faculty, CONTACT, Graduate Online Certificate Program, June 2012 - present

Conflict Transformation Across Cultures (CONTACT) is a groundbreaking international peacebuilding program that brings together peacebuilders from around the world, including a mid-year seminar in Rwanda. 

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), Brussels, Belgium

-Acting Human Resource Director & Int’l Human Resource Systems Manager.  January 2010 June 2011

Coordinated the Human Resource Team (five offices on four continents) to support the staff of NP.  Developed organization wide employee handbook.  Negotiated improved insurance coverage. Supported (both during and after) a staff member who spent over four months in captivity.  Coordinated IT support for the organization.  Served as the Acting Country Director for the Sri Lanka Project for two months.

-Programme Officer.  July 2006 to January 2010

Supported the various programmes of NP in recruitment, programme development, hiring, communication, contracts, etc.  Served as the Acting Country Director for the Sri Lanka Project, Acting Communications Director and the organizer of the International Assembly (Sept 07) in Nairobi during this time. 

-Deputy Director, Nonviolent Peaceforce in Sri Lanka.  August 2003 – June 2006.

Supervising a staff of 75 peacebuilders from 20 countries as part of the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) Pilot Project in Sri Lanka, working to reduce and deter violence in volatile communities and increase the political space for peace and justice activists/NGOs.  Provided support (supervisory, logistical, physical, relational), for the five field teams, wrote reports, led trainings, liaised with the wider NP, supported fundraising, hired local staff, and helped guide and shape the project.  Served as Acting Country Director on three occasions.

-Strategic Liaison  January 2001 – August 2003.

Developed & coordinated the Emergency Response Network.  Served as the Co-Chair of the Recruitment and Information Technology Committees helping to lay the groundwork for the Pilot Project.  Served on the Training Committee.  Conducted research/outreach visits on behalf of the NP to Israel, Palestine, Sierra Leone and Guinea.  Assisted in fundraising, outreach and publicity.


World Learning and the School for International Training (SIT), Brattleboro, Vermont

Faculty, CONTACT, Summer Peacebuilding Program, July 1999-2004

Conflict Transformation Across Cultures (CONTACT) is a groundbreaking international peacebuilding program that brings together peacebuilders from around the world.  Work on curriculum development, faculty selection, publicity and outreach, and web-design, and overall coordination, as well as leading trainings.  The Summer Institute involves over 80 peacebuilders from 30 countries from many conflict areas in the world.

Adjunct Faculty, Lesley College Satellite Program, Netanya, Israel.  August 2002 and 2003
Taught graduate intensive: Inter-Group Conflict Transformation to 70 Israeli graduate students.

Summer Peace Youth Camp Leader, Nancen Ctr. for Dialogue/Karuna Ctr. for Peacebuilding.  July 2002
Led peacebuilding dialogue intensive camp for Macedonian, Albanian and Roma youth, held in Macedonia.

Workshop Presenter, Women Waging Peace, Harvard University, Boston, MA.  November 2000
This Presentation (for 35 women from 12 different countries) was on conflict analysis and conflict mapping.

Assistant Instructor, Conflict Transformation seminar, Hampshire College, Amherst MA January 2000
Worked with Dr. Paula Green teaching 27 students from five countries, from five area colleges.

Graduate Student Body President and Student Trustee, 1998-2000
School for International Training (SIT), Brattleboro, Vermont
Presided over 15-member intercultural graduate student association providing leadership, representation and coordination.  Led campaign for student representation on board of trustees.  As a trustee, oversaw an annual budget of $60 million, supervised executive staff, and developed the long-range plan for the organization.

Psychotherapist, Group Leader and Consultant, Burlington, VT 1990-1999
Worked with adults and children in a variety of contexts (e.g. workshops and seminars, weekend long trainings, individual, couple and family settings).  Led training's in Gender and Violence and Trauma Recovery, and Educational Groups for perpetrators of violence.  Provided general counseling while specializing in work with both victims and perpetrators of violence and trauma.                Emergency Medical Technician, Community First Response; Hinesburg and Hartland, VT 1996-2002
Volunteer certified EMT responding to local emergencies of all types.

Board Member and Training Associate, Karuna Ctr. for Peacebuilding, Leverett, MA.  July 2000 – May 2011

Host family, Vermont Refugee Assistance; Richmond, VT 1988-1999
Provided housing/support to refugees fleeing to Canada from: Asia, the Mid-East, Africa and the Americas.

Senior Staff - Opening The Heart Workshops, Spring Hill of Ashby Inc.; Ashby, MA  1987-1997

Group Leader, Domestic Abuse Education Project; Burlington, VT 1990-1993
Worked with Probation Office and the Women’s Shelter to provide educational groups for men who battered.

Personnel Officer and Financial Aid Administrator, Burlington College, Burlington VT.  1988-1990

Trustee and Student Body President, University of Massachusetts 1985-1987

Languages: English (native) and Spanish (high-intermediate) and Singhala (basic)

Education:

School for International Training; Brattleboro, VT
Master of Arts: International and Intercultural Management.  June 2001
Thesis topic: Building Nonviolent Intercultural Peace Teams. 

University of Massachusetts; Amherst, MA 1988

Bachelor of Arts: Gender and Power. Minor in Women’s Studies.   Cum Laude.

University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, PA 1984

Participated in Semester at Sea -- an educational, intercultural and international global circumnavigation.

 

References: Available upon request