Working Group on Peace and Development (FriEnt)

Dr Judith Baessler is a psychologist and has been active in peacebuilding in Peru, Liberia, and Rwanda. She has spent many years working in international cooperation for GIZ in Jordan, focusing on fostering mental health and psychosocial support in the Middle East. Together with many partners, she was involved in setting up suicide prevention structures for people in severe distress. She was a consultant for the feminist organisations medica mondiale and Amica in various countries. She also supported the Liberian government in developing its first mental health policy. She is currently heading GIZ’s sector project “Peace and Security, Disaster Risk Management” which supports the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Berlin. In May 2024, she stepped in for her colleague Dr Matthias Ries as FriEnt’s manager until his return.