Raghida Dergham

Since 1989, Raghida Dergham has been a columnist and senior diplomatic correspondent for the London-based Al Hayat, the leading independent Arabic daily. In her articles and weekly columns on international political affairs, she sheds light on the cultural chasm between the Arab and Western worlds and what must be done to bridge that gap. Marjorie Ranson of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University said, “The Middle East is not only a part of the world marked by stark difference and violent collisions. It is also marked by nuance and complication. Raghida has the intellect…to go beyond the headlines to see the opportunities.” Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau and named one of 2011’s “100 Most Powerful Arab Women” by Arabian Business, Dergham candidly discusses the complexities of the nations, leaders, and policies of the Arab world and how those complexities interface with the west.

Insightful Observer. Featured in the PBS documentary Caught in the Crossfire, Dergham is also a political analyst for NBC, MSNBC, and the Arab satellite LBC. She has been a frequent guest on PBS’s Charlie Rose and The News Hour, CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, Canada’s CBC, and Al-Jazeera, as well as a radio guest on NPR and the BBC. Dergham is a contributing editor on the international political scene for Los Angeles Times Syndicate Global Viewpoint and has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, and Newsweek. She has conducted exclusive interviews with more than 50 foreign ministers and more than 20 international presidents, including those of Jordan, Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Russia, Argentina, Indonesia, France, Afghanistan, Iran, the Philippines, and the United States. She has also interviewed the prime ministers of Lebanon, Turkey, Sweden, Japan, and India. Her breadth of experience is incredible.

Through her journalism, she contextualizes the latest events in the Middle East, their impact on the world stage, and how critical it is to understand diverse cultures in the world. Dergham has broken major news stories, covered myriad peace conferences and summits, accompanied UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on his Middle Eastern tours, and was the only journalist to interview Ramzi Youssef, the alleged mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing.

Daring Reporter. From mail bombs to military tribunals, Dergham’s career has brought her into jeopardy on more than one occasion. As the author of what New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman called “a smart and important column,” she has survived death threats and continues to battle the prejudices of being an independent, successful female journalist in the Arab world.

Chairs and Appointments. Dergham is a member of the International Media Council of the World Economic Forum; the Council on Foreign Relations; the International Women’s Media Foundation and its Advisory Council; the Advisory Council of Princeton University’s Institute for Transregional Studies of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia; and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group. Dergham is also a regular participant in The World Economic Forum and the Noble Laureates conference. A former president of the United Nations Correspondents Association, she addressed the UN General Assembly on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.