Building a career focused on data, research, and conflict resolution with Hari Prasad

In this episode, host John Byrne catches up with alumnus Hari Prasad, now program associate and researcher at the Carter Center and research associate at Critica Research and Analysis. Prasad shares how his involvement with the Center for Peacemaking helped set him up to pursue a career as a peace and conflict researcher before delving into his areas of expertise, including Syria, Palestine, Ghana, and the role of memes in political discourse. Through these examples, Prasad elaborates on several important—and often overlooked—components of peacebuilding initiatives. He emphasized the post-war and post-fighting period as an essential period of continued conflict resolution and data collection efforts. He also shared how his research on political memes has shaped his belief that listening in ways that discourages individuals from doubling down on untrue beliefs is an important antidote to extremism. Prasad’s publications, including those discussed in the episode, are available on his website (https://www.hkprasad.com/publications). More information about his work focused on Syria with the Carter Center is available online (https://www.cartercenter.org/country/syria/).