Raymond E. Karam was a fellow and former program associate and Washington D.C. representative.
Raymond focused on emerging threats to regional security in the Middle East and North Africa. A skilled dialogue practitioner, he has been involved in Track 2 diplomatic initiatives with partners in the Middle East on regional security, nonproliferation, economic development and environmental governance. Since 2010, he has been facilitating U.S.-Iran policy dialogues, which have served as one of the few bridges for sustained, face-to-face discussions between Americans and Iranians.
Raymond led the EastWest Institute’s policy outreach to members of Congress, congressional staff, various federal departments, foreign embassies and international organizations, producing policy briefings and designing and implementing the Institute’s Washington-led programing.
Raymond previously worked for the Synergos Institute’s Arab World Social Innovators Program, supporting the work of grassroots social entrepreneurs in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and the Palestinian Territories.
Raymond holds a BS in Political Science and International Affairs from Hofstra University, an MS in International Relations and Transnational Security from New York University, and a Certificate in International Law from the University of Amsterdam. A native of Lebanon, Raymond lived, studied and worked in the Middle East for several years. He speaks fluent Arabic and French and has a working knowledge of Farsi.