Diliman Abdulkader joined UUSC in May 2023 and leads UUSC’s engagement with members of Congress on Capitol Hill and think tanks, and partners in Washington, D.C.

Diliman is a staunch advocate for human rights and is passionate about foreign policy and national security. Diliman has devoted his time on the Hill educating members of Congress and staffers on regional developments surrounding vulnerable minorities and communities in the Middle East, regardless of ethnic and religious backgrounds. He is an expert analyst on the Kurdish people and their plight in the region. He often speaks publicly on Middle East issues, has spoken on the Senate Human Rights Caucus, and has published pieces most recently in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. Outside the Middle East, he has advocated for greater rights for the Uyghurs in China and participated in coalitions pushing for legislation protecting Afghan allies of Americans in Afghanistan. Domestically, he has worked on building a bridge between the LGBTQ community and faith groups. Diliman founded American Friends of Kurdistan, an advocacy and education organization strengthening US-Kurdish relations in Washington, D.C. Diliman was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and fled with his family during the first Gulf War and lived in a refugee camp in Syria for seven years.

Diliman received his undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PP&E) with a minor in Human Rights at the University of Washington. He completed his graduate degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution at the American University in Washington, D.C.