Athena ConsortiumInclusive advice on peace, security, and development

Cate Buchanan

Co-Managing Partner

Cate is a mediation support and process design specialist and also focues on conflict analysis and sensitivity advice, violence prevention, and gender equality and inclusion.

Cate Buchanan is a mediation support and process design specialist and also focues on conflict analysis and sensitivity advice, violence prevention, and gender equality and inclusion. Currently Cate provides advisory services to the LIFT Fund in Myanmar, SURGE (Support Unit for Gender Equality managed by DT-Global for the Australian Dept of Foreign Affairs), UNFPA Myanmar on conflict-related sexual violence, Clingendael Academy, the European Institute for Peace, UN Women Afghanistan and Myanmar Offices'.

Consultancies over 2021-22 include work for Transparency International - Defence and Security Programme, Conflict Management Initiative, European Institute for Peace, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, RAFT/Reclaiming Conflict Sensitivity, Saferworld, Conciliation Resources, Dialogue Advisory Group, amongst others.

In 2020 she was the Specialist Editor of Conciliation Resources' Accord 29, Pioneering peace pathways – making connections to end violent conflict. In 2018 Cate was on the Standby Team of Experts for the UN Mediation Support Unit in the Department of Political Affairs providing advice on process design and gender & inclusion as a Senior Mediation Adviser. In 2019 Cate worked part-time as a Standby Team Expert and for UNFPA Myanmar as a Senior Protection Adviser, Dialogue Advisory Group, UN Women, Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution, International IDEA, the UK and Norwegian Governments.

From mid-2014-2018 Cate worked as the first Technical Adviser to the Myanmar Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process and as a consultant to the Nyein (Shalom) Foundation. Cate then worked as an adviser to Nyein (Shalom) Foundation and the armed groups it works with supporting their national dialogues and negotiation approaches, and secretariat development.

Cate worked for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue from 2001 to 20013 in Programme Manager and Senior Adviser roles supporting peacemaking initiatives in Asia & the Pacific, leading research processes, and incorporating gender inclusion strategies into peace promotion. Cate has also focused on small arms control and gun violence reduction including a secondment to Viva Rio in Brazil as a human security adviser. Cate spearheaded the Surviving Gun Violence Project and was Chief Editor of Gun Violence, Disability and Recovery (2014).

See LinkedIn profile for more detail.