Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project

Elevating diverse voices and perspectives in international affairs

Decisionmaking processes that include diverse voices and perspectives lead to more ideas, more innovation, and more robust policy solutions. But many of those who are best positioned to provide those diverse perspectives are underrepresented, particularly at senior levels, in the organizations that lead policy development on U.S. national security and foreign policy priorities and challenges. The Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project works to highlight and promote those voices by:

  • examining which diversity and inclusion efforts can truly make an impact within U.S. federal agencies and international affairs think tanks
  • working to improve diversity and inclusion at CSIS
  • training and equipping a new generation of diverse leaders in international affairs

Vision

CSIS envisions a workforce that embraces its collective mixture of differences and appropriately values how those differences enhance the organization’s ability to meet its overall mission. The Center provides policies and practices that support the cultural tone of inclusion and respect for all employees, forming the bedrock of our organization’s success. CSIS maintains leadership in fostering a more welcoming and inclusive workplace.

Mission

CSIS aims to ensure that the organization’s workforce is diverse, and its policies and practices support an inclusive culture. We strive to provide equal opportunity for all employees to realize their full potential, cultivate strategic external partnerships, and reenvision foreign policy using a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens.

CSIS Pillars of Success in DEI

CSIS take a full-scope approach to DEI, which includes complete consideration of every level of the career lifecycle—from the applicant pool to the exit interview. There are five strategic pillars of success that define our approach to DEI programming:

  1. Organizational Commitment
  2. Workforce Diversity
  3. Employee Engagement and Inclusion
  4. External Engagement
  5. Sustainability

Contact Information

Leadership

Hadeil Ali

Hadeil Ali

Director, Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project

Featured Event

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Towards Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces

The CSIS Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project and the Smart Women Smart Power Initiative have partnered to produce a critical conversation around how women successfully navigate the historically male-dominated, national security workplaces.

September 26, 2022

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Featured Analysis

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Leveraging Diversity for Global Leadership

May 22, 2018 | Report by Victoria DeSimone , Deborah Ann McCarthy , and Sandra A. Rivera

To protect its interests and to effectively lead on the global stage, the United States must leverage one of its greatest assets: its population.

View the analysis

All content by Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project

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2022 Washington Humanitarian Forum: Closing the Gap

Please join the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda for the 2022 Washington Human Forum, examining new actors and changing narratives within the humanitarian sector.

Event by Jacob Kurtzer , Kimberly Flowers , Katherine E. Bliss , Jon B. Alterman , ​Marti Flacks , Mvemba Phezo Dizolele , Beza Tesfaye , Natasha Hall , and Hadeil Ali — November 9, 2022

Photo: FARSHAD USYAN/AFP/Getty Images

Towards Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces — Women in National Security

The CSIS Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project and the Smart Women Smart Power Initiative have partnered to produce a critical conversation around how women successfully navigate the historically male-dominated, national security workplaces.

Event by Kathleen McInnis , Hadeil Ali , Emily Perkins , Elana Aquino , and Princess Bazley-Bethea — September 26, 2022

Photo: Stafeeva/Adobe Stock

Advancing LGBTQIA+ Rights via U.S. Foreign Policy

CSIS hosts a discussion with senior U.S. government officials and civil society representatives on the protection and promotion of the rights of LGBTQIA+ people around the world.

Event by ​Marti Flacks , Hadeil Ali , Jessica Stern , Jay Gilliam , Dr. Chloe Schwenke , and Stephen Chukwumah — June 30, 2022

Photo: AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images

Perspectives: Women of Color in International Affairs

Please join the Center for Strategic and International Studies for a conversation about the experiences of women of color working in international affairs, as well as the significant benefits to the country of fully including women of color in foreign policy decision making.

Event by Talia Dubovi , Beverly Kirk , Angela Bruce-Raeburn , Pam Campos-Palma , and Mieke Eoyang — March 28, 2019

Perspectives: Women of Color in International Affairs

Leveraging Diversity for Global Leadership

To protect its interests and to effectively lead on the global stage, the United States must leverage one of its greatest assets: its population.

Report by Victoria DeSimone , Deborah Ann McCarthy , and Sandra A. Rivera — May 22, 2018

Photo: Adobe Stock