Billy Ford
I'm on the Burma team at the U.S. Institute of Peace. I've worked on various elements of Burma's development for the past 10 years. At USIP, my work focuses on all sorts of peacebuilding-ish stuff - it really depends on what Burma is wrestling with at any particular moment, which is a lot right now.
My current work focuses on supporting various elements of the anti-coup resistance movement, including to local governance structures in liberated areas, various educational initiatives, and to this interesting new nation-building platform that also functions as a mechanism for building opposition unity.
Before USIP, I worked with Freedom House, The Asia Foundation, and a few other Burmese organizations. I lived in Burma for two years as Freedom House’s Country Representative and did stints in Vietnam and Malaysia before that.
I did a Master's in Public Policy at UC Berkeley (where my partner is about to start her PhD!), and my undergrad in Religious Studies from Hamilton College.
My non-Burma interests tend to meander, but I'm currently kinda interested in various elements of existential risk and the related policy challenges (highly recommend the 80,000 Hours Podcast!).
