Dr. Samantha Lakin- About Me

Welcome! Karibu! Bienvenue! Murakaza Neza!

I am a researcher, educator, public servant, and specialist with more than 15 years of experience working internationally on issues of transitional justice, atrocity prevention, conflict resolution, public diplomacy, human security, and African affairs. I hold a Ph.D. from the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University, and a M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. My dissertation focuses on meaning-making, memory, and justice in the aftermath of genocide and atrocity crimes, with specific focus on post-genocide Rwanda. I have led research, policy, and programming teams in Rwanda, DRC, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, and Armenia, and focused on country cases including Iraq, Sierra Leone, Libya. I am passionate about social justice, including gender justice and WPS, emerging issues on the African continent, building democracy internationally and domestically, and language, culture, and diplomacy.

My research focuses on access to justice in post-conflict settings, with specific knowledge and experience working in Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region of Africa. My journey began as a Fulbright scholar to Switzerland in 2011-2012, where I researched the clandestine rescue of Jewish children to Switzerland during WWII, to escape Nazi persecution. Conducting oral history testimonies with 70 survivors of the Holocaust showed me what is possible when asking questions of past history and memory.

I was then offered a position in Rwanda, where I supported the Genocide Archive of Rwanda, Kigali Genocide Memorial, Aegis Trust, in documentation and preservation. In Rwanda I discovered incredible stories of resilience, honest stories about the atrocities that occurred during the 1994 genocide, and how traditional justice mechanisms are still trying to bring the country back together. Therefore, my research focuses on memorial sites, spaces, and processes after genocide, exploring meaning-making via remembrance practices. Through the interviews and conversations I conduct, a common theme arises: feeling a sense of justice is highly personal. I’ve been fortunate to researcher and identify cross-cutting themes which can translate the perspectives and needs of individuals and communities to government and decision-makers.

Since then, I’ve held positions with the U.S. Department of State, Search for Common Ground, the University of Massachusetts Boston, the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA) at Harvard University, Inclusive Security, the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, the American University of Iraq, Sulimani, and the Atrocity Prevention Lab at Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, among others. I seek collaboration on research, new projects, good conversations, meaningful mentorship, and story-swapping.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, thoughts, or suggestions!

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