Invite National Peace & Justice Ministries to speak/facilitate
National Peace & Justice Ministries staff are available to speak virtually or in-person at churches, schools/universities and for other groups. We are also available to facilitate in-person experiential learning activities—”You Got Booked” about mass incarceration, “People on the Move” about the experience of migration, "Loss of Turtle Island" about the impact of the Doctrine of Discovery on indigenous people, and "Our Shared Future" about climate change. Please fill out the form below to request a speaker or facilitator, or send an email to npjm@mcc.org.
Book a speaker
Tammy Alexander, Director of National Peace & Justice Ministries
Topics: Advocacy
Phone: (202) 544-6564
Tammy Alexander is the director of National Peace & Justice Ministries for Mennonite Central Committee U.S. She coordinates the work of national peace & justice staff focused on church engagement and political engagement. Tammy speaks and writes on issues related to climate change and meets with policymakers in Congress and the administration to convey MCC’s perspective on U.S. policy. Previous focus areas include immigration, human trafficking, health care, Africa and HIV-AIDS. Tammy co-chaired the Interfaith Immigration Coalition from 2011-2018. She holds a Master of Arts in International Development from American University and engineering degrees from Purdue University and the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Prior to joining MCC in 2007, Tammy worked as a propulsion engineer on the space shuttle program. Tammy resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and daughter.
Nathan Toews, Peace Education Coordinator
Topics: Peacebuilding, dialogue, nonviolence, gun violence, restorative and transformative justice
Phone: (574) 534-4133
Kirstin De Mello, Climate Advocacy and Education Coordinator
Topics: Peacebuilding, advocacy, climate
Phone: (202) 544-6564
Kirstin De Mello (she/her/hers) is Program and Communications Coordinator for MCC’s National Peace & Justice Ministries in Washington, DC, where she supports advocacy and education initiatives on racial justice, immigration, climate change and peacebuilding. Since 2006, Kirstin, along with her partner, Merwyn, has been involved in peacebuilding efforts with communities experiencing violence, both nationally and internationally. During that time, Kirstin and Merwyn served as peace advisors for MCC with local partners in Afghanistan and later, Bangladesh, weaving peacebuilding into local education, agriculture and livelihood initiatives. Kirstin holds a Master of Arts in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University. Currently, she and Merwyn live in Washington, D.C.
Galen Fitzkee, Legislative Associate
Topics: Immigration, Latin America
Phone: (202) 544-6564
Galen Fitzkee is a Legislative Associate in the National Peace & Justice Ministries of Mennonite Committee U.S. He covers mainly immigration and Latin America advocacy, seeking to bring about policy change that creates a more just and humane immigration system and U.S. foreign policy. Galen received his B.A in Peace and Conflict Studies from Messiah university where he also studied politics and Spanish. He then completed a year of volunteer service with the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy, which served as his introduction to faith-based advocacy. Galen lives in Washington, DC and enjoys playing tennis and ultimate frisbee in his free time.
Charles Obiorah Kwuelum, Senior Peace Education and Advocacy Associate, International
Topics: Global peacebuilding, Anabaptist approaches to peace, food security, U.S. foreign assistance
Phone: (202) 544-6564
Charles Obiorah Kwuelum serves as Senior Peace Education and Advocacy Associate, International for National Peace and Justice Ministries of Mennonite Central Committee U.S. He leads workshops, writes, analyzes, preaches, teaches and speaks on MCC’s global peacebuilding programs, U.S. policy toward Africa, and U.S. foreign assistance and food justice. He meets regularly with congressional offices and Administration officials to convey MCC’s perspective on public policy. Before joining MCC in January 2015, Charles was a Fellow at Search for Common Ground DC and a Graduate Intern coalition builder at the Africa Faith & Justice Network, also in Washington, DC. He holds a Master’s in International Affairs & Diplomacy (ABU Zaria, Nigeria) and a Master’s in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding from Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice & Peacebuilding in Harrisonburg, VA. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Theology from Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. Charles currently lives in Harrisonburg, Va. with his wife and two children.
Daniela Lázaro-Manalo, Racial Equity Education and Advocacy Coordinator
Topics: Racial justice, equity, anticolonialism, mass incarceration
Phone: (909) 946-0809
Email:
Daniela Lázaro-Manalo serves as the Racial Equity Education and Advocacy Coordinator for MCC U.S. Her role focuses on advancing training and advocacy efforts around anti-racism and anti-colonial education for MCC’s constituents. Daniela has a Communications degree and a Master’s in Ethnic Studies from California State University. In both her professional and activist endeavors in the U.S. and abroad, Daniela is passionate about racial justice, equity, community mobilization, and the multiple, interdisciplinary understandings of identity formation in the U.S. As an educator, she is committed to grounding her efforts in Anabaptist theology, nonviolent practices and transformative justice. Daniela currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif., with her husband and two sons.
Zachary Murray, Legislative Associate
Topics: Middle East, DPRK, sanctions
Phone: (202) 544-6564
Zachary Murray is a Legislative Associate in MCC U.S. National Peace & Justice Ministries. He handles advocacy and engagement related to the Middle East and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including sanctions policy. Zachary has an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the American University of Cairo (AUC). He has lived and worked in Egypt off and on since 2017, first as part of the MCC Service and Learning Together (SALT) program and later as a fellow at AUC. His master’s thesis title was “Waqf in transition: Tracing local institutional change during the British Mandate in Palestine.” Zachary lives in Washington, D.C. with his spouse. He enjoys tasting unique teas and coffees and cooking for guests.
Saulo Padilla (he/his/him), Migration Education Coordinator
Topics: Migration, root causes of migration, trauma of migration
Phone: (574) 534-4133
Saulo Padilla has been coordinating MCC’s national immigration education program since 2008. He provides learning opportunities to constituents and the public about the root causes of migration, the need for better and safer mechanisms for people facing migration and advocating to reform the U.S. outdated immigration system. As part of his work, he coordinates immigration law trainings for non-profits offering immigration legal services to immigrant communities and leads learning tours to the U.S./Mexico and Guatemala/Mexico borders. Since 2020, Saulo has worked on the development of resources to address the impact and trauma of migration. Saulo graduated from Goshen College (2005) with major concentrations in History and Theology and from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (2008), Elkhart, Ind., with a Master of Arts in Theology and Ethics. Saulo and his family (his wife, three daughters, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren) live in Indiana.