Nicoletta Barbera

Nicoletta Barbera is a senior program officer for Africa programs at the U.S.Institute of Peace. She currently serves as the lead for USIP’s Women Preventing Violent Extremism program in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. In her previous role on the USIP Africa team, she managed USIP’s South Sudan programmatic portfolio. Barbera joined USIP in 2012 as a research assistant for the gender and peacebuilding team. Her programmatic and research interests include the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, inclusive governance processes, and gender roles in countering violent extremism.

Prior to joining USIP, Barbera worked for the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs and the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Barbera earned her master’s degree in international affairs from The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs with a concentration in conflict and conflict resolution and her bachelor’s degree in political science and French from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Publications By Nicoletta

A Kenyan Peacebuilder Explains What’s at Stake in Her Country’s Elections

Thursday, August 4, 2022

By: Nicoletta Barbera; Amriya Issa

Kenyans head to the polls on August 9 to vote for president, members of the National Assembly and Senate, and County Leadership for the country’s 47 counties. Elections are an important moment for any country, but the stakes are particularly high ahead for Kenya of Tuesday’s polls. Election violence has been a major issue in previous elections, and there are fears that this vote could spur conflict. Kenya’s next government will face significant challenges. Like many countries in the region, Kenya is suffering from a severe drought, rising debt and inflation, with food prices soaring by 15 percent in the last year. With the largest economy in East Africa, Kenya’s stability is critical for the wider region.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance; Gender

How Kenya’s Women Are Preventing Extremism and Violence

Thursday, March 5, 2020

By: Nicoletta Barbera

A group of women gathered recently in Kiambu, an overcrowded Kenyan town, to build their local response to a national problem: recruitment, especially of young men, by extremist groups such as al-Shabab. Kiambu’s women form one of several groups nationwide that are launching local dialogues—typically among community members and authorities—to build well-rooted efforts to counter extremist influence. These groups are part of a network called Sisters Without Borders, which has risen from Kenya’s grassroots over the past five years. On the upcoming International Women’s Day, the story of Kenya’s sisters is worth noting as a success for women building peace and confronting terrorism in their homelands.

Type: Blog

Gender; Violent Extremism

South Sudanese, Rwandans Share Stories of Resilience in Search of Hope

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

By: Nicoletta Barbera; Danielle Robertson

Twenty years after the genocide, Rwanda is often seen as an example of reconciliation and social reintegration. Reminders of the systemic violence perpetrated by the government that began in 1992, in addition to the 100 days of genocide in 1994, are barely visible at the surface. But University of Rwanda lecturer Alice Karekezi notes that “the Rwandan people still carry the scars of war.” And it is still considered taboo to discuss ethnicity in public. But dialogue clubs have emerged in comm...

Type: In the Field

Gender

Afghan Women Challenge Presidential Candidates in Forum

Thursday, February 6, 2014