Barbara Winston is the Founder and President of the Peace Innovation Initiative, Peace Cooperative, the Commission for Peace, and is an Ambassador of the UN-mandated University for Peace. Ms. Winston is a lifelong advocate for peace. She was also the former President of the UN Women for Peace Association and a trustee of the Institute of International Education, which focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. At IIE, Barbara was on the Fulbright Scholarship Committee. The Fulbright Program is an international exchange program sponsored by the United States government, designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and more than 155 countries worldwide. In 2023, Barbara was invited to join the Committee of Honor for L’Association Internationale les Amis des Musées d'Egypte (AME) (the International Association - Friends of Egyptian Museums). AME was founded in 1992 by former UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor in collaboration with UNESCO, The International Council of Museums, and the Department of Egyptian Antiquities of Louvre Museum. With recognition as an eminent personality working for peace worldwide, Barbara has joined nine committee members, including Mrs. Lea Boutros Ghali, Mrs. Sonia Ramzi, Her Royal Highness the Princess Caroline of Monaco, and three former Directors-General of UNESCO. Together, their mission is to promote world heritage as a driving force for peace and development. Alongside this work, Barbara is a member of the President's Circle at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and a member of the National Committee on Foreign Policy (NCAFP). ASPI tackles policy challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific in security, prosperity, and sustainability and provides unique opportunities for deeper understanding and cooperation among the Asian nations and the world. NCAFP identifies, articulates, and helps advance American foreign policy interests from a nonpartisan perspective within the framework of political realism, with dedication to the resolution of conflicts threatening US interests. She is also on the Chairman's Advisory Group of Washington's distinguished Hudson Institute. This non-profit organization seeks to guide public policymakers and global leaders in government and business through a program of publications, conferences, policy briefings, and recommendations. As president of Bruce Winston Gem Corporation, participation in art, design and fashion is constantly inspiring. Harry Winston, the King of Diamonds, who donated the Hope Diamond to the United States, is the father of Barbara's husband. A legacy of good deeds and service is a constant theme. Barbara has a lifelong, unshakeable dedication to the cause of equal justice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily is a socio-cultural anthropologist and peace innovator currently working as the Programs and Research Officer at the Peace Innovation Initiative. As a scholar and practitioner, she actively works to design and launch actionable and sustainable solutions for rebuilding our increasingly polarized public sphere through innovative research and cross-sectoral connections. Over the past 10 years, she has dedicated herself to uncovering the root causes of complex social and political issues that prevent various communities from experiencing stability and peace.

 

Drawing upon lessons from deeply divided societies around the world, her research uses ethnographic data to generate deeper understandings of present issues, and the people involved with focus on illuminating the often-misunderstood relationship between belonging narratives and political engagement. Believing that the ability to create space for paradox and conflict is critical for catalyzing peace and belonging within and between groups, she translates her findings in ways that rehumanize while maintaining the cruciality of accountability for hate-based action. With a commitment to both academic research and peacebuilding, she is currently researching how change happens within nonviolent and populist movements as she works to develop the field and practice of peace innovation. In 2021, she pursued this commitment at King’s College London as an MA student in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies.

 

Her graduate dissertation was a secondary ethnographic study of white rural and industrial American communities and the collective narrative that informed political engagement from 2008 to 2016. As part of this and other research projects, she has sought to make sense of the intricacies of public opinion and affective experience around issues including immigration, racism, and economic instability. Emily also has a BA in Anthropology and a Certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies. While her research and work are grounded in cultural anthropology, social psychology, and political science, she has a passion for harnessing the power of cross-cultural and cross-sectoral thought and engagement for good. Having grown up in the US, the UK, and the Netherlands, her desire to connect across differences and bridge divisions in the midst of conflicting interests was nurtured from a young age, and she continues to incorporate these lessons into her everyday life, travels, research, and programmatic work