Kessy Martine has over seven years of experience in the political and development sectors and now works as a local correspondent for Peace Direct. She is also a free-lance consultant and founder of “URU”, a youth-led local organization working on peacebuilding and development by improving capacities and increasing visibility of youth and youth-led organizations from CAR. Kessy was one of the advisors appointed by the UN Secretary-General to guide the development of the Security Council-mandated Progress Study on Youth, Peace & Security. 
In 2014, Kessy Martine completed the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and subsequently participated in an 8-week internship in the United States. Kessy Martine holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Social and Political Studies and a master’s in Geopolitics, International Security and International Relations. She was born in 1990.