Colin Esther is a doctoral researcher in Politics for an ESRC-funded collaborative project, 'Challenges to Peacebuilding in a Changing World' between the University of York and International Alert (London, Myanmar, and Nepal). Before her doctorate research, Colin was a practitioner with experience in Mindanao, Philippines, at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board. Colin's advocacy bridges theory and praxis to create a shared platform for scholars and practitioners to employ collaborative, context-specific, relevant applied research. She hopes to solve persistent issues and challenges in conflict-affected communities through this platform.