Diana Ohlbaum
Senior Strategist and Legislative Director for Foreign Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation: (website)
twitter: @dohlbaum
email: dohlbaum [at] fcnl [dot] org
phone: (202) 903-2504
Senior Strategist and Legislative Director for Foreign Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation: (website)
twitter: @dohlbaum
email: dohlbaum [at] fcnl [dot] org
phone: (202) 903-2504
arms sales | security assistance | harm to civilians - casualties, human rights, development
Diana Ohlbaum is Senior Strategist and Legislative Director for Foreign Policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the Quaker peace lobby. In that role, she directs FCNL’s foreign policy lobbying team and leads an effort to replace the current U.S. foreign policy paradigm of military domination and national superiority with a more ethical and effective one based on cooperation and mutual respect.
From 2013-2018, Ohlbaum ran an independent consulting firm specializing in advocacy, political strategy and legislative impact. Before that, as a Senior Professional Staff Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she conducted oversight of foreign assistance programs and coordinated efforts to overhaul the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. She previously served as Deputy Director of USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives, a cutting-edge unit designed to advance peace and democracy in priority conflict-prone countries, and as Director of Public Policy for InterAction, an alliance of NGOs engaged in humanitarian relief and international development.
Ohlbaum chairs the board of the Center for International Policy and serves on the executive committee of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Russian studies from Amherst College.
Recent publications:
Diana Ohlbaum is Senior Strategist and Legislative Director for Foreign Policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the Quaker peace lobby. In that role, she directs FCNL’s foreign policy lobbying team and leads an effort to replace the current U.S. foreign policy paradigm of military domination and national superiority with a more ethical and effective one based on cooperation and mutual respect.
From 2013-2018, Ohlbaum ran an independent consulting firm specializing in advocacy, political strategy and legislative impact. Before that, as a Senior Professional Staff Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she conducted oversight of foreign assistance programs and coordinated efforts to overhaul the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. She previously served as Deputy Director of USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives, a cutting-edge unit designed to advance peace and democracy in priority conflict-prone countries, and as Director of Public Policy for InterAction, an alliance of NGOs engaged in humanitarian relief and international development.
Ohlbaum chairs the board of the Center for International Policy and serves on the executive committee of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Russian studies from Amherst College.
Recent publications:
- "What have we learned from 20 years of war?" Stars and Stripes, October 7, 2021.
- "Dismantling Racism and Militarism in U.S. Foreign Policy," FCNL Education Fund and Center for International Policy, September 2021.*
- "The Willful Self-Delusion of American Independence Day," The nation, July 2, 2021.*
- "Wars will last forever if Congress won't acknowledge they're over," CNN, June 22, 2021.*
- "The Bloated Pentagon Budget Isn’t Just Wasteful. It’s Racist," Defense One, April 22, 2021.
- "Toward A More Responsible US Arms Trade Policy: Recommendations for the Biden-Harris Administration," Just Security, January 19, 2021.*
- "Don’t Let Congress Stick Its Head in the Sand on Pentagon Spending," Friends Committee on National Legislation, July 15, 2020.
- "Yes, Congress, There Is Something You Can Do About Reckless Arms Sales," Just Security, June 9, 2020.*
- "The Afghanistan Exit Deal May Fail, The Withdrawal Shouldn't ," Inkstick, May 26, 2020.
- "Five ways to reset US foreign policy amid the COVID-19 crisis," Responsible Statecraft, May 1, 2020.
- "Diplomacy is still the best option for dealing with Iran," The Hill, September 20, 2019.*
- "An “Emergency” Arms Deal: Will Congress Acquiesce in Another Blow to Its Authority?" Just Security, June 6, 2019.*
* indicates additional authors