Will Todman

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Will Todman

Will Todman is the deputy director and senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Since joining CSIS in 2016, his research has focused on aid, sustainability, and displacement in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the Levant. He has conducted field research in nine countries across the Middle East and North Africa, and his analysis has been published by peer-reviewed journals, think tanks, and major publications, including the Washington Post. Will has briefed officials from various U.S. government departments and agencies, the UN Security Council, and foreign governments. He has also commented in print and on live television to various outlets, including the BBC, CBS, and CNN. Will is also a 2022–23 Penn Kemble Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, a fellow at the Centre for Syrian Studies at St. Andrews University, and a former Global Diversity Fellow at the Atlantic Council. Will previously lived in Beirut, where he worked at the British embassy and for the office of the UN special envoy to Syria. He cofounded KAMA DC, a nonprofit that works with refugees and immigrants, and led the organization for seven years. Will holds a BA in Arabic and modern Hebrew from Oxford University and an MA in Arab studies with a certificate in refugee and humanitarian emergencies from Georgetown University, where he studied Persian intensively. 

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The Barriers to MENA Civil Society’s Influence at COP28

Environmental civil society from the MENA region faces unique challenges to achieve that influence at COP, even though the conference is in the Middle East for the second year in a row.

Blog Post by Neeshad Shafi and Will Todman — December 5, 2023

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Rula Hardal: Life as a Palestinian Citizen of Israel

Jon Alterman speaks with Rula Hardal about her life in both Israel and the West Bank, what reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians would look like, and the concessions that each side needs to make for a sustainable path forward.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman Will Todman and Leah Hickert — November 28, 2023

CSIS Babel

Gaza's Solar Power in Wartime

In the midst of the Israel-Hamas war, solar power has proved to be a lifeline for Gazans, revealing the resilience of small-scale systems in conflict zones. These systems, however, have also become new military targets.

Commentary by Will Todman Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Jennifer Jun — November 21, 2023

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Dalal Mawad: The Port of Beirut Explosion Through Women's Eyes

Jon Alterman speaks with Dalal Mawad about her now book, which uses women's stories to analyze the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion, its aftermath, and Lebanon's ongoing troubles.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman Will Todman and Leah Hickert — October 17, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Khalid Ikram: Egypt's Economic Crisis

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman breaks down Egypt's economic crisis with Khalid Ikram, a veteran economist and consultant for over a dozen major international development organizations. They talk about the Egyptian military’s role in the economy and how Egyptian policymakers can alleviate the current crisis. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman Will Todman and Leah Hickert — October 3, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Tarek Megerisi: Libya's Crises

Jon Alterman speaks with Tarek Megerisi about Libya’s crises, including its ongoing armed conflict and the recent flooding.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman Will Todman and Leah Hickert — September 20, 2023

CSIS Babel

Profile: Arab Youth Climate Movement – Qatar

Climate change and environmental issues have only recently become a subject of public discussion in the Gulf. In the run up to COP21 in Paris in 2015, a group of young people formed the Arab Youth Climate Movement – Qatar (AYCM) to address this issue, becoming the first fully independent youth-led association in Qatar focused on youth and climate issues.

Blog Post by Will Todman — September 20, 2023

Roundtable Summary: Civil Society and Environmental Action in the Gulf

As Gulf governments increase their collaboration on environmental issues, CSIS convened a private roundtable with Gulf civil society actors to explore the role that civil society actors can play in bolstering state-level collaboration efforts and driving environmental action. Participants included academics, activists, and analysts from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar. They debated avenues to strengthen regional collaboration, pathways for civil society actors to influence government policy, and ways in which international actors can bolster their efforts. 

Blog Post by Will Todman — September 20, 2023

Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Baaloul Verde

Baaloul is not like most towns in Lebanon for two reasons. First, its inhabitants do not use any of Lebanon’s most common languages; instead, the lingua franca is Spanish. Second, it has reliable electricity. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman and Lubna Yousef — August 29, 2023

CSIS Babel