Biography
Melinda Burrell is a democracy and peacebuilding specialist who has spent 25 years living and working in conflict zones, from helping oversee the first post-war elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina to leading a humanitarian mission into Lebanon during the 2006 Israel/Hezbollah war. Her recent research explores how Americans experience talking across political divides. She now speaks and trains on the neuroscience of communication and conflict, and is a syndicated writer for PeaceVoice. As a board member of the National Association for Community Mediation, she helped early stages of the Trust Network, a group of American organizations that came together in October 2020 to prevent election-related violence and now is supporting community-led processes to address social cohesion and justice across the country.
Degrees
- BA, cum laude, Amherst College
- Master's of Arts of Law and Diplomacy (MALD), The Fletcher School
- PhD, Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Nova Southeastern Florida University
Publications and Awards
What Can They Be Thinking? Fostering Dialogue Across Divides”, chapter in Peacebuilding in America, Rowman & Littlefield, 2020
“Quick Neuroscience Tips for Navigating Uncertain Times”, March 30, 2022, op-ed in OR, FL, IL, MD, LA
“Lessons from a War-torn Garden: SCARF and the Magic Ratio”, Jan 20, 2022 op-ed via PeaceVoice in papers in VA, DE, CA and elsewhere