DOUG BROOKS
President

Mr. Brooks is a specialist in African security issues and has written extensively on the regulation and constructive utilization of the private sector for international stabilization, peacekeeping, and humanitarian missions. Mr. Brooks has testified before Congress, appeared on a range of national and international news programs, and has lectured at numerous universities and colleges. Previously, he has been an Adjunct Faculty member at American University and an Academic Fellow and Research Associate with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Johannesburg. Mr. Brooks is also currently President of the International Peace Operatons Association.

Originally from Adelaide, Australia, J.J. is completing his Master's degree in Peace Operations from George Mason University School of Public Policy where he specialized in refugees and post-conflict elections, with an emphasis on the fledgling nation of Timor-Leste. In addition, J.J. holds a B.A. in Politics and International Studies from the University of Adelaide, during which he also studied at the University of Adelaide Law School and the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. J.J. previously worked in the field of corporate antitrust law for a large firm in Washington, D.C. and for education-related non-profit organizations in Australia.Mr. Messner is also currently Director of the International Peace Operations Association.

Dr. Peters is a specialist in human security in Africa and has written extensively on economic development, democratization, gender and HIV/AIDS.  She has more than a decade of research and project management experience in southern and West Africa.  As Senior Researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Johannesburg, she provided political analyses to the government of South Africa and the private sector, and was featured in local and international media including the South African Broadcasting Corporation news, New York Times, Voice of America and Radio France International.  Dr. Peters has developed proposals for and managed programs in South Africa, Darfur, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.  She also led a research project on peace, justice and security at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, and has taught at Georgetown, George Washington, American and the National Defense University.  She completed her doctorate in Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr Deane-Peter Baker holds a B.A. (Hons) and two master’s degrees (philosophy and political science) from the University of Natal/KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), and was awarded his doctoral degree in philosophy by Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). A specialist in the ethics of armed conflict, Dr Baker’s research straddles philosophy, ethics and security studies. From 2006 – 2008 Dr Baker was Chairman of the Ethics Society of South Africa. He has served as a consultant to both the Reserve Forces Division of the South African National Defence Force and the South African Army Vision 2020 Planning Office. In the winter of 2007-8 Dr Baker was a visiting fellow at the Triangle Institute for Security Studies at Duke University. To date he has published 16 papers in peer-reviewed journals, four book chapters, three edited or co-edited volumes (published by Rodopi, Routledge and Cambridge University Press), one sole authored volume (published by SCM-Canterbury Press) and over 30 media articles, editorials and book reviews. His articles have appeared in South Africa’s leading newspapers, and in international publications such as the BBC’s Focus on Africa magazine. He is regularly interviewed by journalists from the national and international print media. He has also been interviewed a number of times for national and international radio programs, including American Public Media’s Marketplace. Dr Baker is also Deputy Head of the School of Philosophy and Ethics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Director of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Strategic Studies Group.