Mae E. Ballena

Mae Ballena is a Programme Assistant at UNIDIR’s Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme, providing programme-level support to all workstreams.

Prior to joining UNIDIR, she worked as a peacebuilding and development practitioner, notably with the Philippine’s Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity and with various civil society organizations in Mindanao.

Mae holds a Master’s in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law from the Geneva Academy in Switzerland, a Master’s in Political Science: Democratic Governance and Civil Society from Osnabrueck University in Germany, and completed her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Mindanao State University in the Philippines.

She speaks Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Filipino, English and some German.