Carissa Western is a Dispute Resolution Expert for the Accountability Mechanism, assisting in the management of dispute resolution cases for the Dispute Resolution Service. Carissa has worked at the nexus of the conflict and development fields for over a decade with a focus on accountability and recourse mechanisms, gender-sensitive analysis and programming, community engagement and conflict research.  Carissa has worked with a wide range of public and private sector organizations including the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Mercy Corps, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Carissa has a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason's Carter School and a Master's in Peace and Justice from the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Carissa is an accredited Mediator.