S. Aaron Weah-Weah, III, is IREX’s technical lead and civic society engagement specialist in Liberia providing technical support to the USAID/Democracy International-Elections and Democracy Activity Project.

Aaron has over 15 years’ experience managing and coordinating implementation of projects on democratic governance, women and youth empowerment, political leadership, civil society capacity building, and management of democratic elections in Africa with partners and donors in Liberia and internationally.

Before joining IREX, in 2019, Aaron served as USAID-Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative’s program manager, and successfully managed a coalition of six CSOs in Liberia under the banner of the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) to engender positive reforms in Liberia’s elections laws thereby improving Liberia’s electoral system.

Prior to that, Aaron served as the program director of one of Liberia’s leading pro-democracy civil society organizations; NAYMOTE-Partners for Democratic Development. For over 12 years, Aaron supported programs at NAYMOTE to increase the participation of young people, women, and marginalized groups in decision-making processes. His exceptional work toward promoting and sustaining democracy, youth empowerment and the respect for the rule of law in his home country Liberia, led to his selection as the 1st Hurford Youth Fellow in 2012, and subsequently as one of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) “Global 30 under 30” democracy young activists. He is also an Oxford fellow 2016 - a fellowship hosted by the Oxford Human Rights Consortium, Oxford University, UK.

Aaron received his masters in conflict and dispute resolution from the University of Oregon School of Law and a graduate diploma in nonprofit management from the University of Oregon, Planning, Public Policy and Management Program.

Aaron has professional training in negotiation, mediation, advocacy, inclusion, organizational development, strategic thinking, collaborative governance, the management of democracy and elections in Africa, international law, and humanitarian aid.