On October 29 at 3:30 p.m., Milner Library is pleased to host Emma DeSouza for a talk on peacebuilding in Northern Ireland titled “Beyond the State: The Role of Civil Society in Peacebuilding Transitions from Negative to Positive Peace.” The event is hosted by the Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies program and the Illinois State University chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA).

DeSouza is a journalist, peacebuilder, and civic innovation specialist. She is the founder and co-facilitator of The Civic Initiative, director of the Northern Ireland Emerging Leaders program with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, and a consultant on peace processes and civic innovation.

In 2020, DeSouza successfully delivered substantial changes to UK law, bringing domestic legislation in line with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. Following this work, DeSouza created the first All-island Women’s Forum, a new peacebuilding structure that brings women from across the island of Ireland together to work collectively in addressing women, peace, and security issues, acting as chair and facilitator of the forum from 2021-23. In 2023, she was appointed director of a newly established Emerging Leaders Program with NCAFP. In the same year, she founded The Civic Initiative, a new participatory democracy structure that brings together a wide range of civic society organizations to create a space for deliberative dialogues on advancing and supporting peace, reconciliation, and well-being. In 2024, DeSouza delivered the largest civic postal lottery for a citizens’ assembly in the history of Northern Ireland. 

An accomplished journalist, writing for the Irish Times, Irish Examiner, The Guardian, Open Democracy, Byline Times, and several other publications, she is a regular contributor to national and international broadcast TV and radio and has delivered several keynote speeches and lectures across Europe and the U.S. To mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, DeSouza hosted a six-part podcast series on Northern Ireland’s peace process titled “Lost in Implementation.” She is working on her first book, titled No Peace.

The event and following Q&A will be located in the second-floor Speaker’s Corner of Milner Library. All are welcome.

This event is sponsored by the Harold K. Sage Foundation and the Illinois State University Foundation Fund.

If you need an accommodation to fully participate in this event or have any questions about events at Milner Library, please contact Director of Marketing and Communications Michelle Neuffer at mgneuff@IllinoisState.edu.