Joyce Ajlouny is the General Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee. Since 2017, she has led AFSC in shaping its vision for a second century of service, advancing efforts to challenge interconnected systems of violence, inequality, exploitation, and exclusion that undermine human dignity and drive injustice.

She has guided the organization through complex global crises, strengthening its humanitarian response, migration justice advocacy, and peacebuilding efforts, while working in partnership with movements and communities worldwide. A values-driven leader, Joyce brings moral clarity, courage, and a deep commitment to nonviolence and collective action.

A Palestinian American raised on the West Bank, Joyce is a third-generation Quaker whose lived experience grounds her belief in nonviolent action and that peace must be built on justice and human dignity.

She brings more than three decades of leadership in international development and relief. She has served as country director for Palestine and Israel with Oxfam–Great Britain, chaired the Association of International Development Agencies, and held roles with UNDP and UNFPA focused on refugee rights, gender equality, and economic development. Before becoming General Secretary, she led the Ramallah Friends Schools—her alma mater—for 13 years, helping grow it into a leading K–12 Quaker institution serving over 1,400 students.

Under her leadership, AFSC has also strengthened its financial sustainability, ensuring it has the resources to carry forward its mission with resilience and independence.

Joyce holds a master’s degree in Organizational Management and Development from Fielding Graduate University and lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband. They have three adult children.