I graduated in May 2011 from the University of Delaware and I currently work as a Human Rights Officer in Timbuktu within the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. I joined the UN in May 2014 after having worked with human rights NGOs in Tunisia. As a Human Rights Officer working in the field, I tackle various issues pertaining to international human rights and humanitarian law such as detention, conflict-related sexual violence, transitional justice, fight against impunity, and protection of civilians.

My responsibilities include monitoring of the human rights situation in the region of Timbuktu through investigations, special fact-finding missions and visits to detention centers. Another interesting part of my day-to-day work is the continuous engagement with leaders of different rebel groups operating in the area to recall their obligations under international law. Besides, I am also responsible for drafting briefing notes, reports on pressing human rights issues, organizing and delivering outreach activities including human rights trainings to various audiences and developing advocacy materials for use in engagement with donors, partners and other stakeholders. As a matter of fact, we succeeded to put in place 5 human rights clubs for high school students and we are currently rehabilitating a one-stop center for women victims of sexual and gender-based violence.  

There is no doubt that I benefited greatly from my Master’s degree within the Political Science and International Relations Department of the University of Delaware. Indeed, the knowledge and experience I have acquired throughout the program has made me familiar with the various issues and challenges faced in field work as well as the political environment in which peacekeeping missions operate. It has also helped me develop my analytical and critical thinking skills which are tremendously important in field work.  

Jonathan Green is the Special Assistant for the United States Senate Armed Services Committee minority, under the leadership of Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island. He serves as the primary aide to the minority staff director and assists senior staff in policy research and writing. In addition, he acts as a primary point of contact for liaisons with the Services, federal agencies and departments, and industry. Jon is a Master of Public Policy candidate and former graduate assistant at George Mason University. 

Prior to joining the Senate, Jon spent several years at the Department of Defense as a contracted analyst supporting the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Studies and Federally Funded Research and Development Center Management. He provided programmatic support and management to the Department's more than $2 billion-annual research relationship with prominent private industry think tanks and development centers.

Upon graduating from UD with a major in International Relations and minor in Islamic Studies with Arabic, Jon held internships in Boston and Washington, D.C. with Senator John Kerry's office and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The majority of his work focused on immigration crises resolution for U.S. citizens, policy development for the Syrian civil war, and research supporting the proposed approval of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. At the completion of his internships, Jon served as a Regional Director for a battleground Virginia congressional campaign and led his office to more than 40,000 voter contacts.

During his undergraduate years at UD, Jon specialized in the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. He took advantage of UD’s expansive study abroad program to study in seven countries including Ghana, Egypt and Nepal. The combination of in-depth classroom education and experience operating in-country provided Jon with a unique perspective of on-the-ground realities that exist in some of the world's most complicated geopolitical regions. The opportunities afforded to him by UD and the mentorship of faculty like Dr. Muqtedar Khan empowered Jon to continue to pursue his passion for international affairs in public service.