Dara Lipton

Dara coordinates the USAID-funded Civil Society and Media Leadership (CSML) Program in Liberia. Based out of the IREX-Liberia field office in Monrovia, Dara provides direct support to staff and oversees program integration among the Civil Society and Media components of the program. The CSML program provides training and resources to Liberian civil society organizations and independent media to include and engage the Liberian poupulation in the creation of inclusive, peaceful and sustainable development.

Before joining the CSML team, Dara provided support to various programs based out of IREX Headquarters in Washington, DC, including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Global Libraries programs in Ukraine and Romania and several U.S. Department of State-funded conflict mitigation programs in Kyrgyzstan.

Prior to joining IREX, Dara received her M.A. in International Relations at Yale University with a topical concentration in development and a regional focus in sub-Saharan Africa. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname and Uzbekistan, where she focused on capacity building with community organizations, improving public health resources, and overall infrastructural development. Following her volunteer service, Dara worked for Peace Corps Suriname as a technical trainer for the health program.