CIPCR International Advisory Board

The Chairman of CIPCR International Board is the Rt Hon Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP.

Kingsley Donaldson.  Kingsley is a retired Army officer.  He read Irish Studies at Queens University Belfast, majoring on Irish history and politics and the development of terrorism in Northern Ireland. He has served on operations in a number of European and Middle Eastern countries in various roles that span from countering weapons of mass destruction through to negotiating with armed groups in Iraq. He has comprehensive experience in facilitating dialogue, conducting conflict resolution programmes, leading DDR processes and developing leadership in civil society. He has worked on peace-building programmes and initiatives in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. He is the Director of  CIPCR International which he co-founded with the Chairman.

Denis Haughey.  Denis is a former politician in Northern Ireland. After graduating from Queens University Belfast he worked as a teacher. He was involved in the Civil Rights Association and was a founder member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, which he Chaired from 1972-77. In 1980 he became full time assistant to SDLP leader John Hume. At the Northern Ireland Assembly election in 1982 Denis was elected to represent Mid Ulster, but in line with SDLP policy did not take his seat. He led the SDLP team in the Brooke-Mayhew Talks and later the talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement. He was elected to the Assembly representing Mid Ulster 1998 – 2003 and was appointed a Junior Minister in 1999. Dennis continues to contribute to political life in Northern Ireland and is a regular media commentator.

Oliver McTernan.  Oliver is the co-founder and director of Forward Thinking, a UK-based organization that works to prevent and resolve conflict at a national and global level and to promote understanding between cultures. For 30 years he worked as a parish priest in Islington and Notting Hill in Central London. In 1998 he was awarded the International Gold Medallion for his “outstanding contribution to inter-faith understanding.” He resigned from being a Catholic priest in 2000 to focus on his work in conflict resolution. As a member of the Executive Committee of Pax Christi International he was responsible for the movement’s East-West Dialogue program.  Oliver was Visiting Fellow of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, 2000-2003 where he studied the failure of peace processes and the relationship between religion and conflict. In 2004 he was senior advisor to the Club of Madrid, a group of former Heads of State and Government who are committed to supporting governments in transition to democracy.

Stephen White.  Stephen is CIPCR’s policing and security sector adviser. Until 2004 he served in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).  During his 26 year career he held many operational posts – including Assistant Chief Constable, Head of Force Operations, and Regional Commander for the Southern region – where he was responsible for countering crime, public disorder, and terrorism. His specialist roles included Director of Training, Head of Community Affairs, Head of Community Policing, and Director of the Change Management Programme (overseeing the transformation of the RUC into the PSNI) following the Belfast Agreement of 1998. He is highly experienced in providing and developing police leadership and community-based strategies during and after conflict. In 2003 – 2004 he served as Director of Law and Order Southern Iraq and as the senior police adviser to the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority, based in Basra. From 2004 – 2009 he was a Special Adviser to the European Union’s Secretary General and the Head of Mission for the EU’s Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq. He is currently Vice President for Europe of The Soufan Group (TSG), a New York and Doha-based strategic consultancy. In this role he has led and participated in global projects which research and propose strategies for countering violent extremism. Stephen has recently been appointed a Trustee of the RUC George Cross Foundation.