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Michael McGill

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Michael McGill

Michael L. McGill, PhD

Experienced, results-oriented, scholar practitioner passionate about linking, improving, & increasing support to child & youth peacebuilders globally. For fifteen years I have designed & implemented research in conflict affected contexts, trained youth researchers, & facilitated productive interagency, international partnerships. With demonstrated commitment to reflective practice & evidence-backed action, I have traveled and worked in more than 50 countries. I currently reside in Uganda with my family to be near the center of the youngest and most conflicted region of the world.

EDUCATION

2012 Doctorate of Philosophy in Intercultural Studies: Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena (FTS), CA. PhD Dissertation: Children Waging Peace, Changing Nations: An Exploration of Child Participation in Peacebuilding in Majority World Nations Impacted by Armed Intrastate Conflict. My research used grounded theory, ethnography, & theoretical sampling, developing a descriptive moral framework for mobilizing effective & ethical child participation in peace processes. 2004 Began Theology PhD: Oxford Centre for Missions Studies, Oxford, England (withdrew to pursue Fuller PhD) 2000 Masters of Arts in Counseling & ½ Masters of Divinity: Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, GPA 3.9 1998 Bachelors of Arts in Communications, minors in Philosophy & Sociology: Western Washington University 2001 Child Play Therapy Training: International Association for Play Therapy; Network Development: Interdev

WORK EXPERIENCE

2006-present Founder & Director of Young Peacebuilders, waging peace through cross sector partnerships that support children & youth as peacebuilders & measure impact (YoungPeacebuilders.net). 2011 Visiting Scholar at MJ Murdock Charitable Trust, advising & educating in my areas of expertise. 2009-2010 Associate Director of visionSynergy, developing their international younger leader initiative. 2008-2009 Founder & Director World Evangelical Alliance Peacebuilding & Reconciliation Initiative WEAPRI 2001-2002 Child Psychologist at Lydia Home, a child treatment facility offering group, family, & individual therapy. 2000-2005 Founder & Director of The Asha Forum, a global network responding to child sexual exploitation & trafficking.

RELEVANT SKILLS & RELATED ACHIEVEMENTS ~ Summary

Collaboration Specialist ~ supporting team interests, managing teams and staff internationally • Supervised staff globally, while based in Chicago, Seattle, Oxford, Sri Lanka, & Kampala, & working with regional offices. • Coordinated working groups, executive teams, & larger international cross sector partnerships. • Managed research assistants & translators for original research conducted in Colombia, Lebanon, India, & Egypt. • Directed project managers, contractors, & builders for a real estate business (owner/proprietor), concurrent to other roles. • Coordinated a team of SMEs & partner organizations to write a technical proposal for CAMRIS International, responding to USAID YouthPower Evidence & Evaluation IDIQ. Focus on research design & information sharing to strengthen the evidence base for cross sector positive youth development. • Coordinated cross sector partnerships to develop video & lesson packs to mobilize faith communities to address child sexual exploitation & trafficking in Asia, Africa, Europe & North America. • Developed a Peacebuilding & Reconciliation Initiative for World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), which represents 100+ national alliances & 100+ intl. organizations.

Strategic Problem Solver ~ clarifies objectives, obstacles, & assets, & plans to leverage assets to best achieve objectives • Identified problems, developed strategic solutions, & raised resources:
o Young Peacebuilders: nurturing partnerships that support child & youth peacebuilders & measure impact; o Peacebuilding & Reconciliation Initiative for WEA: Raising resources, recruiting & orienting new leadership. o Asha Forum: networking & enhancing efforts to curb child sex trafficking; o Save Lanka Kids: supporting children in Sri Lankan slums by reducing racial tension, preventing child sexual exploitation & trafficking, & helping abused children heal through an art & play therapy project; o VisionSynergy: developing an international program equipping young people with partnership passion & skill. • Provided consultancy: o MJ Murdock Charitable Trust: child & youth related funding proposals; o Global Partnership for Child and Youth Participation in Peacebuilding: research design & operational guidelines. Clear & Compelling Communicator ~ dynamic public speaker, educator, fundraiser, writer • Effectively communicated organizational vision to garner participation & funding since 2000, including winning a $300,000 grant from the Murdock Trust for Young Peacebuilders. • Developed training manual on starting cross sector partnerships to support young peacebuilders & measure impact. • Lectured at several universities and academic institutions: including Seattle Pacific University & Northwest University, WA, on child/youth peacebuilding in conflict-affected developing nations; FTS, CA, on dynamics of intrastate armed conflicts, humanitarian interventions, & child participation in such contexts; Puget Sound Christian College, WA, on partnerships for societal restoration and global dynamics of the child sex industry; The Graduate School at Wheaton, IL, on theology & history of Christian social action & principles for responding to child sexual exploitation & trafficking; Western Seminary, OR, on theology of social work, global dynamics of sex industry, & holistic project evaluation. • Presented research at varied international conferences: International Conference on Children & Youth Affected by Armed Conflict, SE Asia Conference on Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purpose, Viva’s International Cutting Edge.

Research Designer & Manager ~ action oriented research design, training, coordination, & consultation • Co-developed FTS graduate methods course on international research with children in especially difficult circumstances. • Designed research on how to best equip children to develop partnerships that improve their communities; Trained & supervised a team of youth conducting research with children in India, Egypt, & Lebanon, & produced related reports. • Designed methodology & coordinated research throughout Colombia on how to effectively engage children & youth in peace processes in nations impacted by armed intrastate conflict. Trained & supervised research assistants, transcribers, & translators. Collaborated with government, religious leaders, FBOs, & NGOs to conduct interviews & focus groups. • Developed & piloted in Sri Lanka a child sexual exploitation research methodology used by small teams of youth to gather & document findings, develop a local network, & equip local leaders with a model for responding. • Conducted interviews & focus groups throughout South Asia identifying the greatest inhibitors to mobilizing the most effective holistic response to child sexual exploitation, & consequently, founded The Asha Forum of Viva Network.

Training & Partnership Events Designer & Facilitator ~ outcome oriented, synergy & team building, inspiring, efficient • Organized & facilitated trainings & partnership formation & planning events: o Young Peacebuilders Partnership Formation Consultations in Burundi & Rwanda clarified priorities, action plans, working groups, & coordinating teams; o International consultation of key peacebuilding leaders at the WEA General Assembly in Thailand. Worked with General Assembly participants to engage the WEA in peacebuilding & reconciliation action, resulting in: 1) a strong commitment statement ratified by the WEA General Assembly, 2) a 2 year action plan, 3) a 20-member Working Group, & 4) an Executive Team; o 1st Asha Forum International Consultation gathered in Holland, from 6 continents, Christians leaders addressing child sexual exploitation & trafficking & produced a shared action plan; o 2nd Asha Forum International Consultation held in England expanded the partnership & plans; o 1st Asha Forum Asia Consultation in Malaysia developed a regional action plan with participation of over 50 leaders addressing sexual exploitation & trafficking in Asia; o 2nd Asha Forum Asia Training & Consultation in Thailand included 100 leaders from 17+ countries & 17 workshop leaders, & reviewed & adjusted previous regional & local plans; o Asha Forum International working meeting conducted in partnership with The Salvation Army to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts included 30 leaders from 5 continents & was held in concert with US State Department’s International Conference of Activists, Pathbreaking Strategies in the Global Fight Against Sex Trafficking. • Assisted academic institutions & experts in developing graduate degree program on Holistic Child Development focusing on children in especially difficult circumstances—now in nearly 30 universities worldwide.

CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Travel for work & study: • Middle East: Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey • Africa: Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda • Asia: Burma, Cambodia, China, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand • Europe: Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Switzerland, • Americas: Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico,

Languages: Fluent English, Conversational German, Some Spanish

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