Tabatha Pilgrim Thompson, IAML-Spanish 2011, has a background in community organizing, leadership development, political campaigns, and dialogue facilitation. As the director of partnerships and outreach at The Horizons Project, she cultivates meaningful relationships among social justice, bridge-building, and democracy practitioners working to advance a just, pluralistic, and peaceful democracy.
She recently served as the acting director for the Program on Nonviolent Action at the United States Institute of Peace. In her role, Thompson worked with grassroots activists and peacebuilders to develop practical knowledge and skills for how nonviolent action and peacebuilding approaches can be used together to mobilize communities, build power, and address the grievances that can drive violent conflict. She also helped donor organizations better understand how they can effectively support social movements and the power dynamics of external support. She has field experience in West and East Africa, Latin America, Tunisia, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.
Thompson holds a master’s in human rights, humanitarian policy, and conflict resolution from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and Modern Languages from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a member of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security, Foreign Policy for America’s NextGen Initiative, and the Truman National Security Project.