Clarissa Baldin specialized in International Conflict Resolution. She is from Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. Clarissa’s area of interest is environmental peace building. While at SIPA, Clarissa conducted an independent research study on land ownership patterns, deforestation, and conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This initiative, named The Surveyor, culminated with a field trip to the DRC in March 2010 and the publication of a report and video on the issue. During the programme, Clarissa interned at Arava Environmental Consulting & Technology, in the Negev Desert, Israel, where she wrote a business plan for the construction of an integrated system that combined a “biodigestor” with constructed wetlands. Clarissa hopes this project will be replicated in environmentally stressed areas in the region, overcoming initial reluctance to cooperation among peoples and contributing to the creation of a momentum for peace.

 

As part of her graduate capstone project and under the supervision of a faculty advisor, she served on a team of student consultants that researched on the Role of Natural Resources in Sustainable Peace in South Sudan. The research covered the roles of oil, water and land in Southern Sudan, the likely impact on peace and security following independence, and the appropriate forms of international engagement to facilitate stability in the region. The research paper was directed to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

 

Prior to SIPA, Clarissa was a junior consultant at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), assisting on renewable energy projects in Brazil and Latin America.