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Senior Director, Middle East and North Africa Todd Diamond

Todd Diamond is a governance specialist and conflict analyst with more than 25 years of experience designing and implementing international donor projects. Working on behalf of various U.K. and U.S. government agencies, his experience includes assessing conditions that give rise to non-state actors and helping to build the capacity of civil society and the legitimacy of government institutions in conflict-affected environments. He has worked in the Balkans, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. At Chemonics, he designs and supports governance and stabilization programs in fragile and conflict-affected countries around the world. He is also currently a visiting associate at Notre Dame’s Pulte Institute for Global Development, where his research focuses how U.S. foreign assistance can mitigate the rise of extremist actors by strengthening governance in unstable countries. Previously, he was a journalist in Washington and at the UN in New York and Geneva. He earned a graduate degree in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.

by Todd Diamond


For a Precious Resource like Water, Good Governance Matters

In complex environments with political challenges and evolving conflict dynamics, equitable access to water and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services is increasingly critical and yet often constrained by ineffective or outdated governance systems. Not only are governance initiatives central to meeting the challenges that rapid urbanization poses for the provision of WASH services, but…

3 Questions with Todd Diamond on Countering Violent Extremism and Preventing Gang Violence

This post was adapted from an interview between Elisabeth Dallas, Chemonics’ Peace, Stability and Transition Practice director, and Todd Diamond, a conflict, stability, and security director in Chemonics’ U.K. Division. For the full interview, watch the video below. How are violent extremism and gang violence — and the development community’s approaches to them — similar?…

The Case of Jordan: Empowering Municipalities to Improve Public Service Delivery

This post originally appeared on UrbanLinks. Quick infusions of public services are usually a surefire way for local officials to increase their political capital. But pushing through reforms that spur longer-term economic development and strengthen community cohesion is often much harder to accomplish amid competing priorities. In Jordan, USAID’s Cities Implementing Transparent Innovative and Effective…

4 Best Practices to Counter and Prevent Violent Extremism Through Governance

Despite the recent weakening of violent extremist groups such as the Islamic State and Boko Haram, these threats continue to be a pressing global issue. In the development sector, countering violent extremism (CVE) and preventing violent extremism (PVE) are increasingly high priorities for government agencies and donors. As USAID, the State Department, and others grapple…

The Role of Decentralization in Combatting Extremist Influence in Iraq

This post originally appeared on The Atlantic Council. Many governance experts see decentralization as a potential model to mitigate political and sectarian challenges in Syria, Libya, and Iraq and improve livelihoods in those countries by restoring basic services to local populations. But in countries with a long history of absolute control, central government officials frequently…

Improving Services and Strengthening Cohesion in Fragile States: The Case of Iraq

For the past three years, USAID has assisted the Iraqi government in reinforcing state cohesion
and providing a more inclusive governance model at all levels through its Governance Strengthening Program, implemented by Chemonics International and known locally as
Taqadum.

Case Study and Webinar: The Importance of State Legitimacy in Achieving Stability

This case study explores evidence of and recommendations for legitimizing government to strengthen and stabilize fragile states.

Elite Bargains and Political Deals Toolkit

The toolkit provides peacebuilders with a means to better understand power dynamics in local conflicts. The approaches and activities contained support organizations to develop conflict mitigation, resolution, and prevention techniques that reflect the underlying political and cultural factors that drive conflict.

The Politics of Peacebuilding: Engaging Elites to Resolve Conflict

On March 2, 2021, Chemonics hosted a webinar to examine local elites' role in localized conflicts and discuss how to include community-level power brokers in peace efforts.