Cristal Downing
Program Officer, Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack Secretariat
Cristal Downing coordinates the Higher Education Working Group on principles of state responsibility to protect higher education from attack and is a researcher for Education under Attack 2018. Prior to joining GCPEA, Cristal spent almost three years as Analyst in the Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration Program at the International Organisation for Migration in Bogotá, Colombia. She has also worked with local civil society organisations in both the US and abroad, focusing on education and development in fragile contexts. Cristal has published academic articles and made conference presentations on IDP education, child recruitment, and other peacebuilding topics. She has a BA in Hispanic Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in Latin American Studies from New York University, and an MSc in Political Science from the Universidad de los Andes (Colombia).