DLIA partners across sectors to build strategic pipelines, elevate diverse perspectives, and advance our mission to re-envision foreign policy through a DEI lens. DLIA seeks to leverage CSIS’s position in the policy community to serve as a thought leader in practicing and promoting DEI as a national security priority. CSIS president and CEO John J. Hamre sits on the Think Tank Diversity Forum, and DLIA director Hadeil Ali chairs the Think Tank Diversity Consortium.
Building Diverse Pipelines
- DLIA partners with the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy (AILA) on the CSIS Policy Fellowship, a program dedicated to empowering undergraduate students of historically marginalized backgrounds who demonstrate an interest in joining and furthering the national security community. Since 2020, DLIA has served 80 students through five iterations of the fellowship.
- DLIA collaborates with AILA on the Breakthrough Leadership Program to accelerate the advancement of mid-career professionals from historically marginalized communities. To date, DLIA has supported three iterations of this program.
Amplifying Diverse Voices
- CSIS joined Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy in 2020 and has since undertaken numerous “SMARTIE” commitments to advance gender equality through its processes, practices, and policies.
- In 2021, CSIS joined an initiative led by our organizational partner Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS). CSIS has committed to fulfilling all 12 commitments in an effort to make the field more inclusive and equitable.
- DLIA partnered with the Diversity in National Security Network in both 2021 and 2022 to spotlight diverse national security and foreign policy leaders and practitioners.
- DLIA partners with CSIS programs and external partners to host public events with diverse experts on the intersection of DEI and foreign policy, defense, and national security. You can learn more about DLIA’s events here.
