Academic Interests
Sarah Cechvala's primary academic focus seeks to explore the role of the private sector in peace and conflict through systems analysis as a technique to understand their agency and impacts on the context. Specifically, her research will look at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as agents of peace and conflict in violent urban settings; and will situate SMEs within a conflict system in order to understand the key dynamics that reinforce violent conflict and that undermine critical attempts towards peace.
Her doctoral project is part of the UrbanSME project, which is funded by the Research Council of Norway.
Background
Sarah Cechvala holds a MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University, Washington, DC USA. She has ten years of professional experience as a corporate social responsibility professional and experienced researcher on conflict sensitive business practice, company-community relations, human rights due diligence for companies, and accountability for the aid sector. She has robust experience working with corporate practitioners and communities in fragile and conflict affected states in order to enhance company-community relations and to strengthen corporate social performance management systems.
Since 2011, Sarah has conducted extensive field research and long-term work in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, serving in these positions:
- Managing Director, CDA Collaborative Learning (2013-2021)
- Research Assistant, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (2012-2013)