Sara Cook

Sara Cook

Sara Cook is a conflict response specialist with over 20 years of experience working with conflict-affected communities in Northern Ireland and internationally. Her expertise spans mediation, dialogue, and storytelling encounters that bring together victims and survivors of violence, security forces, and paramilitaries to foster understanding and reconciliation.

Sara’s work focuses on the psychosocial impact of conflict, including the well-being of peace practitioners engaged in mediation and peacebuilding. She has designed and implemented methodologies to address conflict-related trauma and has trained individuals from over 50 countries in mediation, dialogue, trauma intervention, and resilience-building.

A strong advocate for the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, Sara works through facilitation and research to promote the inclusion of women and girls at all levels of mediation and peacebuilding. Her approach integrates trauma-informed and resiliency-focused peacebuilding interventions, ensuring sustainable and inclusive conflict resolution processes. Passionate about innovation in the field, she actively supports new learning and methodological advancements to enhance WPS initiatives globally.