Katrina Abatis

Katrina Abatis is a Senior Program Officer in the Mediation Support Team. She works within the Mediation Support Project (MSP), which is a joint project between the CSS and swisspeace, supported by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

Katrina has been at the CSS since 2015 and has prior work experience in designing programs and support for international students in the UK. She obtained her bachelor and master’s degree in English Language and Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Leicester (UK) and obtained a professional certificate in mediation. Katrina’s research interests are culture, narratives, and emotions in peace mediation. She has published on Japan’s approach to peace promotion and cultural mediation in polarised democracies.

Katrina has trained professionals in mediation and negotiation as part of various courses, including the Negotiation and Mediation Course in Zimbabwe, the Peace Mediation Course in Switzerland, the Mediation for Peace course in Türkiye, and the First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis course in Italy. She is a coach on the MAS Mediation in Peace Processes at ETH Zürich.

From 2018-2025 Katrina held the position of secretariat for the external page Mediation Support Network and was editor of the external page MSN Discussion Points. As part of a team with swisspeace, Folke Bernadotte Academy and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, she is planning the next Mediation Support Network meeting in Switzerland on the topic of multi-level mediation.