Awsane, Sanag, Somalia.

About Me

Currently, I'm Editor and Chief Correspondent for HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine; a Grant Writer for Propeller Films; and a blogger for Change.org. And believe it or not I do take on new projects when possible.

If you need a consultant, writer, or researcher on global affairs, please let me know. If I cannot do it myself, I can suggest a strong candidate. Serious inquiries only to Djgerstle@yahoo.com.

I grew up in Fairfield, Ohio, and got my BA in History as well as Certificates in Russian & East European Studies and Creative Writing from the University of Cincinnati (1996). I also finished a Master of International Affairs from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (2005) and an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance from the Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation(2003). I served stateside as a reservist in the US Marines, then pursued a career in humanitarian aid, human rights research, and creative longform nonfiction.

I've devoted great effort to writing on and working in Somalia, Chechnya & Ingushetia, Azerbaijan & Karabakh, Croatia, and Bosnia very deeply. And I've also worked in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Sudan, Kenya, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia, as well as in the US. As a humanitarian aid manager, researcher, and consultant I worked with the UN agencies, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Social Impact, and other nonprofits.

My writing and photography has appeared in HELO, Change.org, New America Media, the Guardian Weekly, Prospect Magazine, Islamica Magazine, ReliefWeb, Eurasianet, Transitions Online, the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, and the Journal of International Affairs.

I've had stories translated into Russian, Italian, and Portuguese. I've held solo photo exhibits at Columbia University's Harriman Institute and the University of Texas Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. And I've also done some film writing and production. I'm based in New York City. Contact me at djgerstle@yahoo.com.

Peace,

- Daniel

Published Highlights 

Find more writing, interviews, and photos by clicking on one of the categories above. Also, check out my new blog series on War and Peace at Change.org which began Oct 2009.

Music for the Road," HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine, Dec-Feb 2010. 

Karabakh: Feasting and Storytelling Across the Caucasus," HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine, Dec-Feb 2010. 

How Isolation Affects National Identity (Editor's Note)," HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine, Dec-Feb 2010.

Iraq & its Neighbors: Conjouring Peace in the Tigris Valley," HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine, Oct-Nov 2009. 

West African Voodoo Funk and other Audio-Epiphanies," HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine, Oct-Nov 2009.

Crisis Zone Soundtrack,” HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine, Aug-Sep 2009.

Cutting Through the Fog of War in Khartoum,” HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine, Aug-Sep 2009.  

A Visit to the Ossetian Divide: Life in North Ossetia,” Guardian Weekly, London, August 2008.

Enhancing the Food Security and Livelihoods Sector for Sudan: Focus on Darfur, South Sudan, and Southern Kordofan,” Social Impact / UN OCHA, Khartoum, July 2008.

Frontline Families in Russia’s North Caucasus, A Photo Exhibition and Essay,” University of Texas CREEES, Austin, April-May 2008.

Russia and the North Caucasus: Winning over the Peaceful Muslim Majority," The Guardian Weekly, London, January 2008. 

Somalia’s Sheikhs, Warlords, and Peacemakers—Competing Visions of How Islamic Government Works,” Islamica Magazine, Los Angeles, 2008. Print only.

Chechnyans Caught in the Crossfire," The Guardian Weekly online, London, December 2007. 

Survival in Somalia: Aid workers under attack [Part 2]," The Guardian Weekly online, London, October 2007. 

Survival in Somalia: Aid workers under attack [Part 1]," The Guardian Weekly online, London, October 2007.

Azerbaijan: Landmines: Fields of Peril," Transitions Online, Prague, October 2007. 

Under the Acacia Tree—Solving Legal Dilemmas for Children in Somalia, a child justice tool book and report on the 2007 Justice for Children National Survey for Somalia, UNDP-Rule of Law and Security Programme, UNICEF-Child Protection Unit, Nairobi / Garowe / Hargeisa, Somalia, September, Internal 2007.

South Ossetia’s Vladikavkaz Connection, " Eurasianet, Open Society [also translated to Italian on repost on Osservatorio sui Balcani, New York, January 2007. 

Chechnya’s Survivor Generation: A Photo Essay,” Chechnya Advocacy Network Online, December 2006.

Taming the African Horn’s Khat Trade,” [+4 photos] School of International and Public Affairs News Magazine, Volume XX, No.1, Columbia, New York, December 2006.

Bridging the Panj: Forging a Peacebuilding Livelihoods Strategy on the Afghan-Tajik Border,” Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, Volume 2 Number 3, American Univ, Washington DC, Spring 2006.

Stranded: Somali Nomads Seek Food in a BarrenLand,” School of International and Public Affairs News Magazine, Volume XIX, No.1, Columbia, New York, December 2005. 

The True Cost of AIDS,” Journal of International Affairs, Book Review of Markus Hacker’s The Macroeconomics of HIV/AIDS (WB 2005), New York, Spring.

Irreconcilable Mood Hovers over Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Zone,” Eurasianet, [Also translated to Russian] Open Society Institute, NY, April 2005.

Moral Math and the Bombing of Iraq,” Communique News, Columbia, New York, March 2005.

Bosnia: Motivations of a Killer,” Communique News, Columbia, New York, February 2005.

Frontline Families in the Azerbaijan-Armenian Conflict, A Photo Exhibition and Essay by Daniel J Gerstle,” [+17 photos] Harriman Institute, Columbia, New York, February-March 2005.

Fighting Hunger and Heroin on the Afghan-Tajik Border,” Eurasianet, Open Society, New York, November 2004.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s Deep Divide,” Eurasianet, Open Society Institute, New York. July 2004.

Global Humanitarian Studies Index, Humanitarian Affairs Program, Website text, database, co-design, Columbia, New York, Spring 2004. 

The Pamir Paradox: Hunger and Water Insecurity at the Source of Central Asia’s Rivers,” Journal of International Affairs, New York, Spring 2004.

A Bosnian War Quick Reference, International Rescue Committee, US Refugee Resettlement Office, Split, Croatia 1999.