João Boavida is Founder and Executive Director of the Centre of Studies for Peace and Development (CEPAD) an organic civil society organisation he founded in 2007 in partnership with INTERPEACE in response to the 2006 crisis in Timor-Leste. He spent most of the decade of 90s in Southern African countries where he held different professional positions with International Non-Government Organizations, and UN agencies in countries like Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. He returned to East Timor in 1999 where he served as Political Affairs Officer for the United Nations Mission in East Timor, Political Advisor for United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, and Political/Constitutional Affairs Officer and Civic Education Officer for the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, all in the UN professional capacity. Since he left UN in 2002, he worked as Freelance Consultant and held different positions with international agencies and organizations.