The Parliament of the World’s Religions Welcomes Jessica Roland as Executive Director

The Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World’s Religions is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Roland as Executive Director. Roland brings over a decade of experience advancing peacebuilding, interfaith cooperation, human rights, gender equality, and inclusive approaches to conflict prevention at the local, national, and international levels.

Her appointment comes at an important moment for the Parliament as the organization begins implementing its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and looks toward its next chapter of global engagement. The new strategy builds upon the Parliament’s historic role in the global interfaith movement while strengthening its reach, engaging emerging leaders, forging new partnerships, and advancing collaborative action for a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.

“The Parliament has been carried forward for 130 plus years by people who believed that dialogue across difference is not a luxury but a necessity. The appointment of Jessica Roland is an important milestone in that long journey. She has spent her career making that belief practical – in conflict-affected communities, at the United Nations, and alongside the women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples whose voices are too often left outside the room. My sincere thanks to our Human Resources team and to our Search Committee for their patient and thorough work in bringing her to us. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I welcome Jessica with much gratitude and full confidence in the chapter ahead.”
— Nitin Ajmera, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Prior to joining the Parliament, Roland served for nearly six years with the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, most recently as Senior Advisor for Inclusive Peace Processes and Multilateral Engagement. In this role, she led the Network’s work to strengthen the meaningful participation of women, youth, and marginalized communities in peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

Throughout her career, Roland has worked at the intersection of religion, peace and security, human rights, and inclusive leadership, developing and leading global initiatives that bring together religious actors and Indigenous Peoples, civil society, governments, and multilateral institutions.

Her work has included partnerships and initiatives with the United Nations and other international organizations to strengthen inclusive approaches to peacebuilding and conflict prevention. She has also helped design and lead global initiatives supporting women and young peacebuilders, religious and Indigenous peacemakers, and civil society organizations working in complex and conflict-affected environments.

Roland currently serves as Co-Chair of the Gender Working Group of the Multi-Faith Advisory Council to the United Nations Inter-Agency Taskforce on Religion and Sustainable Development and has contributed to international policy and practice on inclusive peacebuilding, interfaith engagement, gender equality, meaningful youth participation, and the role of religious actors and Indigenous Peoples in advancing peace.

She holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London.

“For more than a century, the Parliament has demonstrated the extraordinary potential of people of faith, conscience, and goodwill coming together across differences. I am deeply honored to lead this historic organization into its next chapter. At a time of profound division and uncertainty around the world, the Parliament has an important opportunity to connect its extraordinary legacy with meaningful action today—strengthening our global community, engaging new generations of leaders, building partnerships across sectors, and creating spaces where dialogue can lead to collective action for a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.”
— Jessica Roland, Executive Director

Roland will work closely with the Board of Trustees, staff, volunteers, partners, and the Parliament’s global community to advance the organization’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and strengthen its role as a global platform for interfaith engagement and collaborative action.

We are delighted to welcome Jessica Roland as Executive Director and look forward to this next chapter in the Parliament of the World’s Religions’ enduring mission to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions.