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MARIA MASULLO
ITALY
Sponsored by: The Rotary Clubs of Cava dé Tirreni (SA), District 2100, Italy
Country of Citizenship: Italy
Language Proficiency: Italian (native), English, French and Spanish. Basic Portuguese, Russian, Serbian and Kiswahili.
Education: Master of Arts in Human Rights and Conflict Management, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy; Erasmus Programme (12 months) at the University of Ghent, Belgium; Bachelor Degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences (4-years Degree Programme), Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”, Naples, Italy.
Areas of interest: Negotiation theory, international and community mediation, the role of international institutions in conflict prevention and resolution, the role of media in preventing conflict, European Regional security, the interrelationship between security, conflict and development, regional focus on Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia.
Background: Since I had my first professional experience at the Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region in Nairobi, I was profoundly convinced that in the future I would be committed in pursuing a career in the sector of conflict management. After that, I lived and worked in many countries all around the globe (Ireland, Sri Lanka, Serbia and Albania), each one with a different history and culture. But all of them have something in common: a turbulent past or present. Living in those countries permitted me to understand what is not possible to read on the books I studied at University: what is like to live in a place that is experiencing or has experienced a conflict.
In the last 4 years I have covered different positions and worked for many Italian and International organizations. My areas of focus have been very various: Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and facilitation, Development and Peace Education, Transitional Justice, Human Rights, Project Cycle Management, etc… Currently I am working as Project Manager for an Italian NGO in Tirana (Albania). My work consists in coordinating the activities of a Social Centre, situated in a disadvantaged neighborhood in the outskirts of Tirana, whose mission is to remedy to the lack of social services in the area and so, to offer an efficient tool for the prevention of juvenile delinquency and the marginalization of youth, through the development of a comprehensive range of social, pedagogical and cultural activities for youth.
What do you plan to do with your RWPF: I see the Rotary World Peace Fellowship as an incredibly chance for my professional career and my personal life.
First of all, studying at the Rotary Centre for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford, I will have the rare opportunity to consolidate my knowledge of the theories and techniques of conflict management and so, that would be of a great value to achieve my career objective of becoming a facilitator in peace negotiations.
Apart from gaining academic and practical training, I feel that the skills and background I will acquire thanks to the Rotary Fellowship will enable me to contribute to the Foundation’s Mission, thoroughly researching on conflict resolution; increasing public awareness of Rotary’s commitment in promoting peace and cooperation among peoples; and advising and assisting Rotary International and its member clubs in their efforts to contribute to world understanding and peace.
Lastly, I also hope to build a lasting network of peaceworkers with the other World Peace Fellows that will open a wide range of options for future collaboration and working opportunities.