Neslihan Ozfaris

VISION STATEMENT

I believe people from diverse backgrounds can work together to achieve common goals and create mutual respect to pursue positive social change. My passion for social justice and activism has led me to study peace and conflict transformation at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR). Both my study and work experience at CTPSR have given me the opportunity to explore both the theory and practice of peace studies and have been a great inspiration. My research explores youth engagement in peace education, integrated peacebuilding programmes and civil society, and Muslim women and their role in interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

Research Assistant

Building: IV5

Email: neslihan.ozfaris@coventry.ac.uk

BIOGRAPHY

Neslihan Ozfaris is a research assistant at CTPSR.  Upon completion of her BA in Sociology from Coventry University, she continued her studies and obtained an MA in Peace and Reconciliation at CTPSR funded by the Ferguson Trust Scholarship in 2015. Neslihan is a passionate advocate of equality and empowerment and is working to bring communities together with a focus on the challenges faced by young people and women of diverse ethnic groups. Her research interests focus on the role of women and youth in conflict transformation and peacebuilding.

Neslihan has coordinated and facilitated a variety of international programmes, conferences, and workshops including an advanced international academic development programme Commonwealth Fellowship Project 2014 and 2015, Global Peace Workshop 2014 and 2015, Rising Global Peace Forum 2015. She is currently organizing the 4^th Global Peace Workshop 2016, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Skills Summer School 2016 and the 6^th Istanbul Human Security Conference 2016.

SELECTED PROJECTS

• Global Peace Workshop 2014, 2015 and 2016: The Global Peace Workshop is an annual international peacebuilding event that brings together practitioners, academics and students from around the world. It provides academic insight and practical training to develop the knowledge and skills of emerging peacebuilders, creating a platform for social, cultural and intellectual exchange. Organised by the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University in the UK and Mugla Sitki Kocman University in Turkey, the workshop has built an extensive network of over 225 active, talented and connected peacebuilders from 123 countries.
• Istanbul Human Security Conference 2016: The Human Security Implications of The Refugee Crisis: Evaluating Current Policies and Discussing Potential Solutions will be taking place  19-21 October 2016. The conference is a close collaboration between the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR) at Coventry University, the United Nations Human Security Unit and Kadir Has University in Istanbul and will be hosted by Kadir Has University in Istanbul.
• Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Skills Summer School 2016: Organized by The Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, in partnership with Kadir Has University, the fourth Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Skills Summer School 2016 will take place at Kadir Has University’s Cibali Campus, between 25 -29 July 2016. The Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Skills Summer School is an experiential skills building workshop on conflict resolution which provides an introduction to conflict analysis, as well as range of skills that are needed to resolve conflict effectively including communication, negotiation, and personal and situational awareness.
• RISING Global Peace Forum 2015: RISING Global Peace Forum is led by Coventry City Council, Coventry University and Coventry Cathedral, and supported by our Patron, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. Our first annual international symposium, RISING 15, took place in November 2015.  It brought together global leaders, practitioners and advocates working for peace. Together, they shared brave and creative ideas that challenge us to go beyond conventional thinking and change how we approach threats and confrontations in our societies
• Commonwealth Fellowship Project 2014 and 2015: This advanced programme is designed to provide opportunities for professionals from Commonwealth Countries to explore public and private initiatives of UK’s diversity and equality services. The “Improving Natural Resource Governance through Citizen Engagement” 2015 fellowship programme aimed to help improve the knowledge and skills of civil society fellows in engaging in natural resource management, thereby empowering them to contribute to poverty reduction and peacebuilding in their home countries.