Antonella Di Ciano is the Student Worker of the Inequality and Exclusion program at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation (CIC).
She is a Fulbright Scholar pursuing a master’s degree in International Development at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and works as a Policy Analysis for Development Research and Teaching Assistant at Duke University.
Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the Central University of Venezuela and a Master of Arts degree in Anti-Corruption Policies from Salamanca University in Spain.
With over six years of experience in project management, gender equality, and conflict resolution, she served as the Regional Programmes Officer for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office at the Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF). She managed the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds, supporting monitoring, evaluation, and project management for responses to illicit economies and corruption in Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia. She led the monitoring and evaluation team through outcome harvesting, field visits, and annual reviews, ensuring gender mainstreaming throughout the portfolio.
She also co-founded and directed the NGO Proyecto De La Mano, addressing the humanitarian emergency in rural Venezuelan communities, focusing on nutrition and food security for children. She served as the Caracas Global Shapers youth network curator for the World Economic Forum and was a panelist on conflict and nature in the Amazonian Rainforest at the 54th Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2024. Her career and studies have been dedicated to gender, peace, and security, demonstrating her passion for gender equality and peace in Latin America.