Diana Chigas

Diana Chigas

Professor of the Practice in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Contact Information

Research/Areas of Interest

- Corruption and effective anti-corruption strategies in fragile and conflict-affected states
- Gender and corruption
- Impacts of international assistance on conflict and peace dynamics
- Negotiation and mediation in identity-based conflicts
- Evaluation of peacebuilding effectiveness

Education
  • J.D., Harvard Law School, Cambridge, United States
  • M.A.L.D., Fletcher School, Tufts University, Medford, United States
  • B.A., Yale University, New Haven, United States
Biography
Diana Chigas is Professor of the Practice of International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Diana currently co-directs, with Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church, the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Project, a research-to-practice initiative that aims to improve the effectiveness of anti-corruption programming in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Her current research focuses on social norms and corruption, and the intersection of conflict, peacebuilding and corruption.

From 2003-2016, Diana also directed the Reflecting on Peace Practice program at CDA, a non-governmental organization dedicated to working with development, humanitarian and peacebuilding practitioners, as well as the private sector, to improve the effectiveness of international assistance in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. At CDA, she focused on systemic approaches to conflict analysis, the role and impact of the private sector in peacebuilding, and strategic planning, reflection and evaluation to improve the impact of peace programming. Diana was a contributor to the 2012 OECD DAC guidelines on evaluation of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and to guidance for DFID on guidance on evaluation of peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity. Diana has over 25 years of experience as a facilitator and consultant in negotiation and conflict resolution. Her work has included development of strategies, training and advice on preventive diplomacy in the OSCE, training for the United Nations and several regional organizations, "track two" dialogue in El Salvador, in South Africa, Ecuador and Peru and in the Georgia/South Ossetia peace process, and facilitation of inter-ethnic dialogue in Cyprus. Her current research interests include cumulative impacts of peacebuilding and understanding the dynamics of corruption in conflict-affected and fragile contexts in order to develop more effective anti-corruption programming.
Selected Publications

Chigas, D. (2004). Negotiating Intractable Conflicts: the Contribution of Unofficial Intermediaries. In C. Crocker, F. Hamspon, & P. Aall (Eds.), Grasping the Nettle: Analyzing Cases of Intractable Conflict. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.

Chigas, D., & Ganson, B. (2003). Grand Visions and Small Projects: Coexistence Efforts in Southeastern Europe. In A. Chayes, & M. Minow (Eds.), Imagine Coexistence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chigas, D., & Ganson, B. (2003). Grand Visions and Small Projects: Coexistence Efforts in Southeastern Europe. In A. Chayes, & M. Minow (Eds.), Imagine Coexistence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chigas. (1997). Unofficial Interventions with Official Actors: Parallel Negotiation Training in Violent Intrastate Conflicts. International Negotiation, 2(3), 409-436. doi:10.1163/15718069720848031

Chigas, D., McClintock, E., & Kamp, C. (1996). Preventive Diplomacy and the OSCE: Creating Incentives for Dialogue and Cooperation. In A. Chayes, & A. Chayes (Eds.), Preventing Conflict in the Post-Communist World: Mobilizing International and Regional Organizations. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

Chigas, D., & Dininio, P. (2019). Strengthening Rule of Law Approaches to Address Organized Crime: Social Norms. Washington, DC: USAID and MSI. Retrieved from https://www.corruptionjusticeandlegitimacy.org/

Chigas, D., Kochevar, D., McClintock, E., & Johnstone, I. (n.d.). Empowering One Health Peacemakers. Journal of Transdisciplinary Peace Praxis, 4(2), 54-84.

Chigas, D., & Woodrow, P. (2017). Adding up to Peace: The Cumulative Impacts of Peace Programming. Cambridge, MA: CDA Collaborative Learning Projects.

Scharbatke-Church, C., & Chigas, D. V. (2019). Using systems thinking to understand and address corruption in the criminal justice system in fragile states. In Corruption Social Sciences and the Law Exploration Across the Disciplines (pp. 201-222). doi:10.4324/9780429197352-12

Scharbatke-Church, C., & Chigas, D. V. (2019). Using systems thinking to understand and address corruption in the criminal justice system in fragile states. In Corruption Social Sciences and the Law Exploration Across the Disciplines (pp. 201-222). doi:10.4324/9780429197352-12