Michael Sanders is a Program Officer I at Democracy International. Previously in his career, he spent nearly two years as a Peace and Development Analyst for UNDP in Comoros, where he supported elections, managed a groundbreaking partnership between UNDP Comoros and USAID, and wrote crisis updates for regional offices, including one for the UN Secretary-General. He also interned at UNCTAD in Geneva, co-authoring a paper on Africa’s pharmaceutical industry and researching conflict resolution mechanisms of regional organizations like AfCFTA, SADC, and ECOWAS for the Policy Analysis and Research Bureau.

Mr. Sanders also served as a Community Engagement Strategist for UNDP Comoros, leading outreach during the country’s COVID-19 response on Ndzuwani Island. His career in international development began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Comoros, where he taught English to students from 2016 to 2018.

He holds a B.A. in Social Sciences from Washington State University and a master’s in International Affairs from The Penn State University.