Brittany Gleixner-Hayat is a visiting scholar in Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance program. Her research focuses on U.S. policy toward countries experiencing political transition and the role of democracy support in U.S. foreign policy.
She previously worked in the Office of Transition Initiatives at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) directing its political transition support program in Ethiopia from 2020 to 2023 and from 2012 to 2016 managing its program in Yemen and supporting those in Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan.
Between 2016 and 2020 Britt advised on stabilization and assistance strategy in Yemen for USAID and as a consultant contributed to an evaluation of U.S. stabilization interventions in Pakistan, advised a program supporting Lebanese communities cope with destabilizing factors stemming from the Syrian crisis, and led a nationwide study in Yemen on the impact of the war on socio-political dynamics.
Prior to that, she worked at the Social Science Research Council connecting scholars with UN policymakers to enhance conflict mediation and earlier in support of the International Dissertation Research Fellowship. In 2006 she conducted research on a rights-based approach to end child labor in rural India. In 2005 she coordinated the inaugural conference of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict at UN headquarters.
Britt is a 2023-2024 International Affairs Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations.
When conflict-affected countries have a democratic opening, U.S. policymakers need to better understand and incorporate the many factors at play—local actors and power structures, emerging powers and their interests, and competing U.S. interests, among others.
Continued U.S. engagement is crucial for regional stability, a year after the Pretoria Agreement. Washington should emphasize four priorities in Ethiopia.
