Mehreen Farooq
Director of PQL
Technical Director, Peace and Security
Mehreen Farooq is the Director of Counterpart’s Program, Quality, and Learning (PQL) department – overseeing a dynamic team of technical specialists who deliver the analytics, results measurement, and learning that underpin and continuously advance Counterpart’s mission and impact. Mehreen specializes in developing collective impact initiatives that emphasize religious leader engagement, gender and social inclusion, and positive youth development to support social change. As Counterpart International’s Peace and Security Technical Director, Mehreen Farooq plays a leading role in cultivating an innovative community of practice that explores the intersectionality of civil society strengthening, democracy promotion, security governance, and rule of law initiatives, as well as broader peacebuilding, conflict mitigation, countering violent extremism (CVE), terrorism prevention, and stabilization initiatives. Mehreen brings more than 10 years of technical expertise providing governmental and non-governmental actors with needs assessments, community engagement assistance, strategic guidance for project implementation, and training to improve public policy and programming to advance peace and security. She is currently also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, teaching a course on “Community-Based Terrorism Prevention.”
Before Joining Counterpart
Before joining Counterpart, Ms. Farooq served as the Vice President of the World Organization for Resource Development and Education (WORDE) and led policy analysis, research, and programming to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations to promote peace and counter violent extremism. She led field-based research across South and Central Asia to identify drivers of conflict and opportunities for building strong, resilient communities. Applying international best practices, she helped establish the first evidence-based community-led program in the United States to build resilience against radicalization. Ms. Farooq also advised and trained non-governmental organizations and public agencies on developing holistic, multi-disciplinary violence prevention strategies – leading presentations and seminars at the United Nations (Geneva) and in Macedonia, Tunisia, Slovenia, and Germany. Domestic engagements included briefings for the Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Defense University, National Counterterrorism Center, Foreign Service Institute, State Department’s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications / Global Engagement Center, Af-Pak Interagency Task Force, and policymakers in the Congressional Anti-Terror Caucus.
Previously, Ms. Farooq worked with the University of Maryland’s Center for Health and Homeland Security and McGill University’s Institute for Health and Social Policy.
Education
- M.A., International Affairs (magna cum laude) American University, Washington, D.C.
- B.A., Political Science (cum laude), Christopher Newport University, Virginia.
Achievements, Certifications and Special Projects
Ms. Farooq has co-authored several reports on building community resiliency, and has published in Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Common Ground News Service, and the Christian Science Monitor. She is a graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, and in 2007 was selected as a Fulbright scholar to research democratic movements in Egypt.
Why I’m passionate about our work
“Today’s global security challenges cannot be addressed by one single actor or agency, so I’m excited to be working with a dynamic team that empowers communities around the world to facilitate social accountability, collective responsiveness, and a greater hope for tomorrow.”