Meet Saji

Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace Organization

Lakshitha Saji Prelis

Youth Advisor

Saji has over 20 years of experience working with youth movements in conflict and transition environments in over 35 countries. He has advised governments about ways to engage young people. As the Co-Chair of the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security, he co-led successful advocacy for the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) Res 2419 (2018) and Res 2535(2020).

 

Saji is also the director of children & youth programs at Search for Common Ground (SFCG).  Before joining SFCG, he was the founding director of the Peacebuilding & Development Institute at American University in Washington, DC. Over eleven years at the university resulted in him co-developing over 100 training curricula exploring the nexus of peacebuilding with development from a human-centered perspective.

 

Saji received the distinguished Luxembourg Peace Prize for his Outstanding Achievements in Peace Support and obtained his Master’s Degree in International Peace & Conflict Resolution from American University in Washington, DC.