Cynthia Chigwenya is a political researcher and pracademic with experience in policymaking. Her advocacy is grounded in research, having worked at think tanks, and published on topical issues including, climate finance in emerging market economies and security sector governance. She holds a B.Soc.Sci in Criminology and International Studies; a BA (Hons) and MA in Development Studies (Wits) and an MPhil in Social Policy. Her dissertations focus on transitional justice in post-genocide Rwanda, Zimbabwe’s peacebuilding mechanisms and conflict mediation in South Sudan. Cynthia is a TEDx speaker, recognised as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) global 100 under 40 awardee in Politics and Governance; and has spoken at various symposia, including the EU-AU Summit. In 2023, she briefed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on future-proofing trust for peacebuilding. Cynthia works as a programme coordinator at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and has collaborated with several organisations promoting SDGs and the Agenda 2063 in Africa. She previously held research positions in the South African Parliament and at the National Genocide Commission in Rwanda. She is a certified short-term election observer and served as the African Union’s Youth Ambassador for Southern Africa from 2022-2024.