Generations For Peace USA Appoints 12 New Board Members and Ambassadors

Generations For Peace, a leading global peacebuilding organization founded and chaired by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, today announced the appointment of ten new Board Members and two new Ambassadors mandated with providing strategic oversight and guidance to Generations For Peace USA (GFP USA) as it accelerates and expands its mission to support peacebuilding programs and research in communities across the United States. Peacebuilding, defined as the wide range of actions that address root causes and impacts of violence to prevent their recurrence, is more important now than ever, as the United States faces unprecedented levels of polarization and identity-based divisions and violence.

The new Board Members and Ambassadors were appointed following an extensive, 18-months, nationwide search led by Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, LLC. They hail from seven states and the District of Columbia, bring diverse identities and complementary strengths and expertise, which together will help advance GFP’s ambitious nationwide goal to invest in people, processes and policies to prevent violence in the United States through strategic programming, outreach, governance and fundraising efforts.

GFP USA has been registered in the United States since 2012. To date, GFP USA has implemented youth-led peacebuilding programs in Chicago and Champaign, Illinois, and collaborated with a variety of partners from civil society, the US Government and United Nations to host events, trainings and campaigns to advocate for the meaningful participation of young people in peacebuilding, the prevention of violent extremism, and the use of sport for peace and development, among other issues.

In 2021, GFP USA’s offices relocated from Washington D.C., to Nashville, Tennessee, in preparation for new programs. This year, under the guidance of its Board and Ambassadors, GFP USA will develop and launch new initiatives that invest in people, processes and policies to prevent violence, further positioning GFP USA as a bold and innovative peacebuilding organization that galvanizes people to build trust across divides, and work together to create a more just and peaceful reality for all.

GFP Founder and Chairman, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, commented, “These new appointments signal our renewed strategic focus for Generations For Peace in the United States. We are delighted to have attracted these extraordinary leaders to join our mission. They bring complementary strengths and deep knowledge of the context across the USA, and of effective structures for program and policy engagement and good governance. Together, we can play our part in connecting GFP’s extensive international experience from 51 countries over the last 15 years, to apply to the deep and urgent challenges facing communities in the United States.”

New GFP USA Vice-Chairperson, Samar Ali, commented, “Generations For Peace brings an incredibly exciting energy and wealth of experience to the U.S. context, and has such a thoughtful approach to building partnerships and momentum as the organization moves forward. I am honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such experienced colleagues to shape GFP’s contribution to the needs we see in the daily lived experience of people across the United States. Together we can deliver meaningful impact by transforming experiences and creating effective spaces for positive engagement across divides.”

New GFP USA Board Members  

Dr. Andrea Thomas, based in the New York, is a leader in virtual exchange with an outstanding track record for delivering transformative results to build and scale international programming in higher education, and was a former GFP Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan while serving in the Peace Corps.     

Cath Thompson, based in Maryland, is a peacebuilding and network-building professional with experience in conflict transformation, philanthropy, grant solicitation and management, network building, and group facilitation, who serves as Managing Director for the Peace and Security Funders Group (PSFG) and as a Navigator with Wayfinding Partners.  

Jacob Toups, based in California, is a progressive leader who specializes in fundraising, youth development, non-profit management, program management, government partnerships, grant management, and proposal writing, who works with the city of Los Angeles Housing Authority.    

Dr. James Kallusky, based in Connecticut, is a non-profit executive, community program leader, grant maker, author and tenured professor who created the nation’s first-degree program in sports-based youth development, who now works with Fight for Children as the Chief Program Officer.  

Jeanné Lewis, based in DC, is a nonprofit executive, faith-based organizer, and authority on creating empowered communities, who has dedicated her career to building bridges, closing equity gaps, creating policies that lead to strong, thriving, and self-determined cities, and now works as the VP and Chief Engagement Officer at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.  

Jude Khalaf, based in DC, is a dedicated program manager, who holds experience in building successful compliance programs within the humanitarian field and now works as MENA Region Program Officer with InterNews.  

Samar Ali, based in Tennessee, is the new GFP USA Board Vice-Chairperson and holds professional experience as a lawyer, conflict mediation practitioner, social entrepreneur, and CEO. She currently works with Millions of Conversations as the Founding President and CEO, with Vanderbilt University as a Research Professor in Political Science and Law, and as the Co-Chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy.  

Sarah Murray, based in Colorado, is a non-profit leader with 25 years of experience using sport and play for justice, inclusion, and equity, who currently works as both the Executive Director of Free to Run and as the Principal of Grow the Game. 

Stephen Whisnant, based in DC, is a philanthropic and humanitarian professional with extensive experience in the peacebuilding and sport sectors, who serves as Founder and Managing Director of Stephen Whisnant Strategies.  

Tamar Datan, based in Virginia, is a leader in advancing education, philanthropy, sustainable development, strategic planning, fundraising, non-profit governance, and organizational development, who now works as a Senior Advisor for Non-profit Professionals Advisory Group.  

New GFP USA Ambassadors  

Kiran Singh Sirah, based in Tennessee, is President of the International Storytelling Center, the global premier institution dedicated to the art of storytelling and producer of the world-renowned National Storytelling Festival.     

Dr. Peter T. Coleman, based in the New York, is a renowned expert on constructive conflict resolution and sustainable peace, who works as Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University with a joint appointment at the Teachers College and The Earth Institute.  

Bios of the 12 new appointees are available here.