Meet Gibson Zulu, 2022-24 Rotary Peace Fellow

Gibson Zulu is a Zambian and 2022-24 Rotary Peace Fellow studying Global Studies with a concentration on international Economic and Development Policy and Peace and Conflict Resolution at the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center. He has 9 years of work experience with the United Nations implementing and coordinating refugee protection and durable solutions in Zambia, Liberia and Ethiopia. His last assignment was as Head of Field Unit in the Sherkole Refugee camp in Ethiopia for the United Nations Refugee Agency. Before that, he was an Associate Field/Durable Solutions Officer in Zwedru/Harper in Liberia after concluding missions as Durable Solutions Associate and Resettlement Assistant in Solwezi and Mongu, Zambia with UNHCR. He holds a BA in History from the University of Zambia where he won the best academic performing student award twice and the most improved athlete award in 2009. In 2013, he won USD$13,500 through a global UN resource mobilization competition that got 50 refugee dropout kids back into high school. In 2021, he bagged a UN Regional Bureau of West and Central Africa Recognition award for innovative efforts in saving 5000 refugees during the debut of the COVID-19 pandemic. He evaluated the Multi-Year, Multi-Partner Protection and Solutions Strategy Frameworks for Zambia and Liberia respectively. Resettling vulnerable refugees from indigence in refugee camps to developed countries where they lead meaningful lives without international protection has been the most fulfilling aspect of his career. Gibson’s research interests subsume preventative diplomacy and peacemaking for conflict prevention/transformation, climate change, food and energy insecurity and forced displacement, humanitarian access, civil- military coordination and sanctions. After graduation, he ponders transmitting conflict 

resolution skills to local communities in fragile countries and coordinating humanitarian responses and access in emergencies.

Gibson will speak about L'Esprit de Genève - a pragmatic approach to conflict resolution and refugee solutions. The most perennial challenges Gibson  encountered throughout his career were inadequate humanitarian funding, elusive durable solutions for refugees due to protracted conflict, limited resettlement opportunities and impediments to humanitarian access. He will address these issues and opportunities for solidarity that are in sync with the World Refugee Day 2023 theme.