Karma Ekmekji
Karma Ekmekji is a Peace Mediator and an Associate Fellow at the Issam Fares Institute (IFI) for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut where she leads the Women, Peace and Security Regional Hub. She also advises governments, private diplomacy organizations, and multilateral agencies on Mediation Processes, Security Sector Reform, and National Dialogue Design. Karma is also active on the corporate front as a Global Engagement Consultant and Knowledge Curator. She is currently the Global Engagement and Strategy Lead for the Beirut Business Forum.
Prior to this, she was the International Affairs and Relations Advisor to former Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri, where she served as the focal point for all international dossiers for eleven years. She was directly involved in negotiations on Lebanon’s maritime and land borders, the implementation of SCR 1701, and the capacity building of Lebanon’s security institutions. Before joining PM Hariri’s office in 2009, Karma was a Political Officer at the United Nations Special Coordinator’s Office in Lebanon tasked with liaising with political parties, electoral reform, and parliamentary affairs. She had also served at the UN Secretariat’s Department of Political Affairs in New York (currently DPPA) in her capacity as the Rick Hooper Fellow.
Karma also worked as a policy analyst for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) tasked with conducting extensive research on electoral systems and reforms and with providing technical assistance to the Lebanese Government. She was present at the Doha Agreement in May 2008 where she negotiated with Lebanese political parties to introduce reforms to the electoral law.
Stemming from a strong interest in empowering women in the field of diplomacy, peacebuilding, mediation and negotiations, Karma founded the #Diplowomen initiative to share knowledge, develop mentorship opportunities and strengthen networking in this field. She is the host of “The #Diplowomen Podcast”, a member of the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, and a member of the Global Alliance of Regional Women Mediator Networks, which she participated in launching during the 74th UN General Assembly in New York.
Karma, a lecturer in International Affairs, is an alumnus of the Peace Mediation Course, offered by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. In 2020, She was selected as a Munich Young Leader. She was also selected to take part in the European Union Visitor’s Program in 2019 and is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. In 2018, Karma was invited by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to take part in a high-level study tour. She is currently a member of the Women’s Advisory Board to the EU Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process.
Karma is also a member of the British Government’s International Leaders Program and a “Personalité d’avenir”, selected by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2012, Karma was named one of the top 99 foreign policy leaders under 33 years of age by the Diplomatic Courier.
She holds a Master of Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University where she was a Fulbright student. She is a fourth-generation graduate of the American University of Beirut and a Penrose Award recipient given to outstanding students on the basis of scholarship, character, leadership and contribution to university life.
Karma is married to Hani Hammoud and is the mother of two boys, Raï and Yann.
