Claire Downing is a current PhD student at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Claire’s research seeks to create cross-cultural understandings of the impact of countering violent extremism (CVE) programs on human rights and civil liberties, through employing a phenomenological research approach which centers the experience of impacted participants, particularly Muslims. In doing so, Claire hopes to create more understanding across domestic and international policy spheres regarding how both domestic and international CVE programs have similar chilling effects on program participants’ ability to live, speak, and worship freely. Claire’s past research has explored other systems of criminalization and rehabilitation, including disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs in post-conflict settings. Claire hopes to use her studies and experience to help create and influence public policy that is sensitive to the needs and experiences of impacted and marginalized communities, including Muslims, people of color, and minorities writ large.

Claire currently serves as Program Associate at the Security & Rights Collaborative (SRC), a Proteus Fund initiative. The SRC is a collaborative grantmaking program supporting a diverse field of organizations working to address profiling, discrimination, hate crimes, anti-Muslim bigotry and xenophobia through capacity building measures in Muslim, Arab, and South Asian (MASA) communities in the U.S. Prior to this role, Claire worked in international development/legal empowerment and finance, banking, and government contracting. She has also interned at Kroll, Transparency International-USA and on the Hill for Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). Claire has a bachelor of arts in Global Affairs (summa cum laude) from George Mason University, and a master of arts in International Affairs, concentration in Conflict and Conflict Resolution from the George Washington University. Claire has intermediate-advanced proficiency in Spanish and is a current student of Arabic.