Our Team.
Fadia Thabet, MA
Co-Founder & Co-Director
Fadia (she/her) is a conflict analysis and peacebuilding practitioner focused on conflict transformation initiative design and training.
Sophie Bouwsma, MA
Co-Founder & Co-Director
Sophie (she/her) is a musician and peacebuilder focused on addressing the roots of structural and cultural violence.
Richard Agbaje, MA
Liberia Country Director
Richard Agbaje is a promoter of peace and development connectivity focused on the effects of poverty on conflict, sustainable human development and resilience.
Affiliated Consultants* Denotes Founding Member
Fabio Arnaldo Ayala
Fabio Arnaldo Ayala (he/him), MA is the Assistant Director for the Center for Restorative Practices at Amherst College.
He comes to this work with rich experience in school-based restorative practices, conflict transformation, group facilitation, and training. Prior to joining Amherst College Fabio served neurodivergent learners at Landmark College as their Assistant Director for Student Conduct & Community Standards and Residential Dean. During this time Fabio was able to put into practice his training in restorative practices, circle facilitation, program development, and community building with the goal of creating more inclusive and restorative spaces on campus.
With two undergraduate degrees in Spanish Studies and Religious Education from Andrews University, and a Masters of Arts in Peacebuilding & Conflict Transformation from SIT Graduate Institute Fabio has committed himself to being a life learner and reflective practitioner.
Brian Chevalier*
Brian Chevalier, MA seeks to be a translator addressing our perceived incompatibilities in conflict settings. He studies the ways we can all become better translators.
He previously worked providing social services to adults with mental health challenges. This also offered him the opportunity to practice the de-escalation of interpersonal conflicts on a near daily basis.
He has completed qualitative and quantitative research on American political differences, sources of conflict in the Middle East, and attitudes towards economic inequality.
Jordan Ferrick*
Jordan Ferrick, MA is an experienced consultant, trainer, and mediator.
She specializes in restorative justice and community well-being practices with a proven ability to design, implement and evaluate projects that provide meaningful results in equitable and inclusive ways. She is passionate about improving communities through empowerment and enrichment of its members.
She is adept at adjusting to individual, organization, and community needs. Her specialties include restorative justice practices, mediation and conflict transformation, monitoring and evaluation, policy advocacy, and training and design.
Becca Jacobson
Becca Jacobson (they/she), MA is is a dedicated community organizer committed to restorative equitable communities that are both healthy and sustainable.
Becca is a queer, enthusiastic, and collaborative educator, trainer, facilitator, and organizer. They are dedicated to providing inclusive learning opportunities and truth-telling through the use of restorative practices and experiential learning in order to create full and equitable understanding within communities.
Their main focus is on providing need-based programming that supports the dismantling of punitive and oppressive systems and transforming them into spaces that thrive on mutual support and accountability-- where folx who have historically been excluded are able to participate and be valued members of the community.
Cara Silverberg*
Cara Silverberg, MA specializes in trauma-informed education and wholistic leadership development.
She works with individuals, groups and organizations to explore how trauma operates on neurobiological and behavioral levels, and uncovers opportunities for both personal development and greater organizational collaboration, performance, and resilience.
Cara consults on topics of diasporic Jewish identity, intergenerational trauma healing, indigenous-settler relations, antisemitism and internalized antisemitism, and somatic transformation.