Caitilin McMillan

Sponsoring Rotary District: 7090
Worked in: Sierra Leone, India, China, Cuba, Canada, United Kingdom
Degrees from: Oxford University and Queen's University
Future plans: "I plan to work in hands-on ways - through advocacy and programs - to help create more meaningful peacebuilding processes that are shaped with a diversity of women and other voices at the core. In my work, I hope to tackle root causes of injustices and promote peaceful conditions through social change. "

Caitilin is a passionate community builder and human rights advocate with a professional background in international development and gender equality. She specializes in creating positive social change by facilitating inclusive research and development processes that give people a voice in the issues that most affect them. Caitilin holds a BA (honours) in Global Development Studies from Queen’s University in Canada as well as an MSc in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford.

Caitilin has worked with citizen groups, local governments and NGOs across North America, West Africa, Europe and Asia. Most recently, she worked for Plan International, a girls’ rights NGO, where she led exciting research and evaluation on inclusive education projects in Sierra Leone promoting gender equality, access to school, learning for girls and sustainability. Before joining Plan, Caitilin worked with the Migrants’ Rights Network in London, UK where she spearheaded research into the impact of immigration policy on refugee and immigrants’ lives with a view to campaigning for better conditions. She has worked with displaced communities around the world, including helping shape a grassroots response in the UK and travelling to Greece in response to the refugee crisis. While living in Canada, Caitilin also worked closely with indigenous groups in Ontario on land and human rights issues.

Becoming a Rotary Peace Fellow is a culmination of her lifelong passion for public service and dream to support local communities with peacebuilding processes that are more just, equitable and open to diverse voices. Caitilin will join UNC Chapel-Hill’s Geography department and hopes to have a vibrant career in international peacebuilding following the program.