Veronika Burget
Veronika Burget is the co-founder and Project Director of the Alliance of Historical Dialogue and Accountability. Veronika has brought experience in historical dialogue and transitional justice as well as democracy promotion working for European government agencies, private donor organizations, and non-profits in the Middle East and the Balkans. She has taught the history of the Holocaust and European memory after 1945 at commemoratives sites, and with NGOs in the Balkans as well as in Germany and Italy. She frequently participates in conferences and workshops, discussing the impact of history on contemporary politics. Veronika holds a Masters Degree in History from the University of Oxford (UK).
Contact Veronika Burget: vb2311@columbia.edu
Michal Alter
Michal Alter is a Research Assistant with AHDA and pursuing a Master of International Affairs at SIPA. Besides her work for AHDA Michal is co-leading the design of an educational kit about the Nakba – the catastrophe that marked the Palestinian experience of 1948 - aimed at the American-Jewish audience, and inspired by a study guide called “How Do We Say ‘Nakba’ In Hebrew?” released by the Israeli organization Zochrot. Prior to Michal’s move to NYC, Michal served as Tel Aviv Municipality’s Director of Refugee Affairs, working with refugees from Darfur, South Sudan, and Eritrea. Before transitioning into the public sector, Michal worked in various positions in the Israeli High-Tech industry, specializing in systems architecture and project management. During her conscript army service, Michal was one of the first women pilot cadets in the IDF. Michal has a BA in Computer Science from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and a BA in East and South East Asia Studies from Tel Aviv University.
Contact Michal Alter: ma3051@columbi.edu
Ashleigh Lawrence
Ashleigh is a Research Assistant with AHDA. She has previously worked with the William Winter Institute on Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi, the Industrial Areas Foundation, Doctors without Borders-USA and the HIV/AIDS section of the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Wake Forest University and a Master of Arts in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University where she focused on transitional justice, reconciliation, and historical accountability in the United States. Ashleigh also works at The American Assembly a public policy forum at Columbia University.
Contact Ashleigh Lawrence: asl2117@columbia.edu
Kelly McCracken
Kelly McCracken, an MPA candidate at the School for International and Public Affairs, is a Research Assistant with AHDA. Prior to attending Columbia, she spent eight years with the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) in Chicago, where she worked on multiple post-conflict justice programs. Kelly has a regional interest in the Middle East having lived and worked in Syria and Jordan, and she is currently involved in a research / advocacy project co-sponsored by IHRLI and the United States Institute of Peace promoting the use of post-conflict justice mechanisms in predominantly Muslim countries. Kelly is a Departmental Research Assistant for the Human Rights Concentration at SIPA, and is interested in issues relating to justice policy, both international and domestic.
Contact Kelly McCracken: kem2166@columbia.edu
Lindsey Reichlin
Lindsey, a Masters of International Affairs candidate at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, is a Research Assistant with AHDA. Throughout her academic and professional experiences, she has focused on her passion for cross-cultural interaction, community capacity-building, and empowering individuals through awareness and dialogue. After receiving a B.A. in Global Studies from UCLA, Lindsey worked as a Research Coordinator at the Abramson Center for the Future of Health in Houston, Texas where she focused on improving community well-being through the use of Community-based Participatory Research methods. At SIPA, Lindsey is concentrating on human rights and specializing in conflict resolution, and is a Departmental Research Assistant for SIPA's Human Rights Concentration.
Contact Lindsey Reichlin: lsr2133@columbia.edu
