Sofija Barakate
Om Sofija Barakate
I am a PhD candidate in Peace and Development Research at the School of Global Studies, University 91̽»¨.
My research focuses on civil society actors advocating for peace and social change in societies experiencing identity-based conflicts. In my PhD project, I am studying political imaginaries and navigation practices of NGO staff in Lebanon that aim to advance social and political change in the context of sectarianism and external donors.
Research areas:
- Identity politics, ethnoreligious conflicts;
- Peacebuilding theory and practice;
- Donor-recipient relations;
- Civil society and NGO research;
- Feminist theory and qualitative methodology.
Professional Experience:
- Political officer for the Swedish Embassy in Riga (2020 - 2022);
- Migration policy development and technical-level diplomacy in the EU Council as a representative of the Interior Ministry of Latvia (2017 - 2020);
- Project management at local peacebuilding and development NGOs in Lebanon (2013 - 2017).
Previous Education:
- MA course in Peace Research, PRIO, University of Oslo (2021)
- MA in Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University (2014 - 2016)
- Universite libre de Bruxelles, EU Law and Policy on Immigration and Asylum, (2018, summer school)
- BA in Political 91̽»¨, University of Latvia (2010 - 2013).