Ramona Taheri

Ramona Taheri is the Executive Director of the Peace Operations Training Institute, a nonprofit nongovernmental organization that has provided globally accessible e-learning on topics related to peace operations since 2008. She has been with the Institute for 10 years, working with various UN agencies, organizations, and subject matter experts to develop training materials on international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians in conflict settings, mine action, humanitarian relief, disarmament, international conflict resolution, cultural property protection, and gender issues, among other topics. Her work focuses on balancing innovative training delivery methods with ensuring accessibility in areas without reliable broadband internet connectivity.

Ms Taheri has helped pilot various trainings for peace operations personnel and consulted on doctrine related to integrating gender perspectives into stability operations. She has presented to the International, European, and Latin American Associations of Peacekeeping Training Centres.

Prior to joining the Institute, she worked and volunteered in various capacities with Amnesty International USA, the Red Cross, and various refugee resettlement agencies. During her graduate studies, she worked as a Research Assistant for Columbia University’s Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy studying international intervention in civil wars throughout the 20th century. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of ReEstablish Richmond, a refugee aid organization.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in Political Science with a focus in International Relations from Columbia University. She is fluent in Farsi with basic Spanish skills.