United Nations

Around the world, Lucy Turner observed how people’s words and stories reveal simple solutions that change lives and nations. Listening, as people speak in their own voices and languages, also empowers and builds bridges among communities devastated by conflict and poverty.

Convinced that peace and progress require these factors –  proven effective solutions,  empathy, and empowerment –  Lucy committed to help ensure that the voices of the people that the UN serves inform what the Organisation does for them. She dedicates herself to a paradigm shift whereby ‘beneficiaries’ of international assistance are identified as sources of the expertise we need for the world we want.

Lucy’s work has led to changes in international law and policy, funding priorities, national institutions, and the structure of the international system. She serves as a Senior Advisor, leading the participatory design, implementation, and measurement of projects, policies and programmes. She produces narratives to support system-wide change.

A thought leader and innovator, work that Lucy designed and led has been highlighted by the World Bank President, UN Secretary General, UN Security Council, UNDP Executive Board, Commission on the Status of Women, World Data Forum, and World Economic Forum.