Speaking + Presenting

Michelle is available to speak and present about her work in peace, healing, and justice. 
Please reach out to learn more about how Michelle can speak at your next event.

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 Topics of Expertise:

• Social trust and cohesion
• Countering disinformation through dialogue and storytelling
• Cross-cultural communication
• Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDIB)
• Psychological safety and trauma-informed practice
• ​Conflict management and violence prevention
• Restorative justice and reconciliation
• Women, Peace, and Security agenda (WPS)
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Accountability (MEAL)
• Youth and community engagement
• Leadership and teambuilding
• Commemoration, memory, and celebration 

"Michelle creates an environment that we don't often get to inhabit, one with possibility that before had felt like the beaten-path, although not an open path."
- Ethan Knight, Executive Director, American Gap Association ​

Book Michelle to Speak

Photo of Michelle Helman

MICHELLE'S BIO: 

Michelle is passionate about facilitating design and education processes that foster connection and collaboration. She brings 20+ years of experience partnering with global leaders on community-driven change projects such as the Colombian peace process, peace-tech and health innovation in East Africa, and gun violence prevention in the USA. Michelle is a Doctoral Candidate and Peace & Health Innovation Fellow at the University for Peace, a Rotary Peace Fellow, and a Senior Fellow at Portland State University’s Center for Public Service. Holding a MA in Peace & Conflict Studies and a BA in Anthropology, Michelle is also trained as an improviser, mediator, Wilderness First Responder, and Spanish medical interpreter which she learned to speak as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Perú. She loves to read paperback books and write haiku.

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Selected Presentations

• Exploring Careers in International Development - Foreign Aid Freeze and USAID Shutdown - Boston International Development Network
  
• Storytelling and Dialogue as Counter-Disinformation Tools - U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs & U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica
• Peace Innovation - Rotary International
• Creative Approaches for Communication and Conflict Resolution - GlobalPDX & Oregon Mediation Associatio
• Facilitation Essentials for Evaluators - Oregon Program Evaluation Network (OPEN)
• Continuous Quality Improvement - OPEN
• Community Building - Center for Public Service Connect, Portland State University
• Self-Care and Resiliency while working from home during COVID-19 - Prosper Portland
• Raising Voices: Collaborating for Change in our Community - Oregon Women’s Health Network with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning from the Inside Out - DM&E for Peace and Search for Common Ground

Michelle presenting and leading a peacebuilding activity

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning webinar link

Global Experience