Souleiman Kassouha

Souleiman Kassouha, PhD, is a certified Third Party Neutral (TPN) trainer with the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution and a certified trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication. He is a psychologist, university professor, and master trainer with over 25 years of experience in psychosocial support, conflict resolution, and humanitarian programming across the Middle East and international contexts. His work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing social cohesion, nonviolent communication, and locally grounded peacebuilding practices.

Souleiman’s journey in conflict transformation is rooted in both academic depth and extensive field engagement. Holding a PhD in Psychology of Communication from the University of Caen in France, he has bridged research, teaching, and practice throughout his career. As a university professor, he has mentored students and supervised research, while also leading large-scale capacity-building initiatives with UN agencies, international NGOs, and public institutions.

A key area of Souleiman’s contribution has been the adaptation, development, and delivery of Third Party Neutral (TPN) training in Arabic-speaking contexts. As a certified CICR trainer, he has played an important role in strengthening the accessibility and cultural relevance of the TPN model by contributing to Arabic-language training materials and contextualizing methodologies to reflect local realities. In Syria, he has delivered extensive TPN and nonviolent communication trainings, equipping educators, psychologists, humanitarian workers, and community leaders with practical skills in mediation, dialogue facilitation, and conflict transformation. His work has supported the integration of TPN principles into psychosocial support, education, and community-based peacebuilding initiatives, particularly in conflict-affected and high-stress environments.

As a certified trainer with both CICR and CNVC, Souleiman has led numerous Training of Trainers (ToT) programs, building a network of facilitators capable of sustaining and expanding conflict resolution practices within their communities. His experience also includes the design and implementation of TPN and dialogue facilitation trainings in Poland, where he supported efforts to strengthen relationships and foster social cohesion between Ukrainian refugee communities and host Polish communities through structured dialogue and trust-building processes.

Throughout his career, Souleiman has supervised and implemented large-scale psychosocial and protection programs, training thousands of professionals in trauma-informed care, gender-based violence prevention, psychological first aid, and nonviolent communication. He has contributed to the development of multiple training manuals and educational resources in Arabic, reinforcing his role as both a practitioner and a knowledge contributor in the field.

Recognized for his thoughtful and structured facilitation style, Souleiman creates inclusive, culturally grounded, and trauma-informed learning environments that effectively bridge theory and practice. Drawing on decades of experience in complex and conflict-affected settings, he remains committed to empowering individuals and institutions to engage constructively with conflict and contribute to more resilient, cohesive, and peaceful societies.