Viola Csordas is an SSR Advisor in ISSAT's Knowledge and Outreach Team.
In addition to contributing to several of ISSAT’s training activities, Viola is delivering operational and strategic support to reinforce security and justice reform programming for ISSAT’s Governing Board members. In her role, she is currently leading several ISSAT work streams: first, on climate change and what SSG/R programming can contribute to climate proofing states and communities; second, on the internal-external security nexus, such as how instruments as civilian CSDP or international police missions can contribute to foreign and internal security objectives; and third, on Public Financial (PFM) and Human Resources Management (HRM) of the security sector, including applications around rightsizing, security transitions/ peace processes, anti-corruption and organized crime.
Prior to taking up this role, Viola has worked on the Africa desk of the German Foreign Office’s Humanitarian Task Force, with a focus on the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region and Mali/ Sahel; at the World Bank, supporting DDR processes and particularly conflict sensitive reintegration activities in CAR, Uganda, DRC and RoC, financed by the MDRP/ TDRP, a multi-country trust fund; in Rwanda on good governance for GIZ; and in Ethiopia, running an NGO in support of girls’ education. Additionally, she has interned at the UNDPKO Situation Centre in New York, at LWF in their Rwanda/ DRC programme, and at the European Parliament.
Viola holds a Master’s degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Staatswissenschaften (Social Sciences, Law and Economics) from the University of Erfurt, for which she has also studied abroad at Hong Kong Baptist University.
She speaks German, English, French and basic Spanish.