Experienced conflict transformation practitioners working inclusively across conflict divides.
Our Values
Our core values are a respect for human dignity and individual agency. We are independent, principled, and open-minded. We are impartial, but not neutral in that we reject all forms of violence, including coercive exercise of power and abuse of human rights.
Indie Peace is more than its founders – we work with peace practitioners from around the world who share our vision and values -working together to foster a more just society based on ethics, empathy and reason.
Larissa Sotieva
Co-founder
Larissa has over 25 years’ experience managing humanitarian, conflict transformation & civic engagement programmes in the former Soviet Union and has a wealth of expertise in political and conflict analysis, facilitation of research and cross-conflict dialogue processes, including high level policy dialogues.
Larissa has worked for a number of international organisations in Russia in the North Caucasus and also in the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Ukraine. Between 2006 – 2019, Larissa worked as senior adviser for the Eurasia region at International Alert, after which she founded Independent Peace Associates. Larissa is also a qualified yoga teacher, learning her practice directly from Himalayan masters, with a focus on Raj yoga for healing of the mind and body.
Juliet Schofield
Co-founder
Juliet has over 20 years’ experience managing conflict transformation & civic engagement programmes in the former Soviet Union & western Balkans, working with organisations VSO and International Alert, bringing a wealth of expertise in programme management, design, monitoring & evaluation. She has managed research, dialogue, public education & advocacy initiatives, bringing together conflicting sides, fostering youth engagement, critical thinking & promoting social justice.
Juliet also has a degree in Psychosocial Studies and recently has been exploring the use of arts & culture-based approaches for social change inspired by her engagement with cultural dialogue between writers, artists, musicians and public figures from across the Caucasus.
Violeta Vajda
Consultant
Violeta joined the Indie Peace team in 2026 to strengthen our organisational processes and support our financial management and administration. She brings over two decades of experience in civil society development, coalition-building, and addressing the trauma of racism and other forms of oppression across Central and Eastern Europe, working with organisations such as the National Democratic Institute and Amnesty International.
Violeta’s understanding of how unaddressed collective trauma perpetuates cycles of violence and oppression is grounded in her PhD in anti-racism, her experience with participatory research across divided communities, and her activism working with tools that assist people in addressing emotional barriers to effective organising.