Dessa Quesada-Palm is a Filipino artist-teacher-organizer with more than four decades of engagement in socially-relevant theater. She is the founder and director of the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts in Dumaguete City, Philippines, which since 2005 has produced performances and facilitated community arts workshops on themes such as youth rights, gender-based violence, environmental protection and community resilience. Dessa facilitates trainings on the nexus of arts and peacebuilding at the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute, and is a long-time board member of the Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation.