Terra Tolley

Incoming President, Graduate Students in Conflict Studies (GSCS): Imagine finding yourself constantly in a disaster zone, surrounded by conflicts with long histories. This is  why incoming GSCS president Terra Tolley decided to pursue studies in conlict analysis. After traveling to Cambodia, Rwanda, and the Balkans, she returned to the US to carry out disaster relief work in the Gulf region. While there, she came to the realization that she would like to transfer her understanding of the volatilty of post-disaster zones into a degree. Therefore, she has been immersing herself in both her studies and continu-ing her work on risk and impact assessment since she joined the program in 2007.

Terra's future goals include developing peacekeeping efforts surrounding environmental issues and natural resources. This is due to the fact, she says, "that when I went overseas to work, I got so attached to the area and the people I worked with. I can imagine why land and its use is an important thing to the people that live there." She mentions that she has particular interest in the Balkans region and envisions doing a project on peace parks, which are protected areas that span across the boundaries of multiple countries, where physical political borders have been abolished. Terra adds that these parks are ideal multinational communities that can be used for education and peacebuilding.

Terra will soon be participating in the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute in the Philippines through the global studies program, which is a new opportunity to learn about another culture and increase her skills in grassroots peacebuilding. Terra find it natural to work in different communities, given her background in anthropology and human rights. Assuredly, she will continue to be an asset to the ICAR community in her new role as she uses her abilities to represent the voices of the students.