The Timbuktu Center
Think Tank
The Timbuktu Center for Strategic Studies on the Sahel is an independent research-to-action think tank founded by researchers, consultants, academics dedicated to peacebuilding efforts to make this world a better place to live. We work in the Sahel region of West Africa.
Our work
The Timbuktu Center conducts research, projects, and data collection, as well as workshops and conferences, on a wide range of violent threats, including terrorism, counterterrorism, violent extremism, disinformation, geopolitical dynamics, geostrategic dynamics, religious dynamics, arm group dynamics, DDR, irregular migration, cuttle rustling, environmental post-conflict reconstruction, nuclear ban, and armed conflict.
Our mission
We build grassroots alliances across the rural Sahel to work for sustainable peace. We bring together leaders of communities for the purpose of identifying common values and goals to fight violent extremism. We seek to connect to communities with resources to promote cultural awareness in the spirit of tolerance and respect.

90%
NGO success
220+
People Adviced
500+
Guides Given
25+
Awards Achieved
We provide conflict mediation training, conflict analysis, and other peacebuilding resources to people, organizations, and government intuitions working to build peace and free our world from violence and hatred.
Our team members speak multiple local languages of the Sahel region, as well as English and French. They represent many ethnic groups and have different backgrounds of local, nationalm and international consulting experience.
We work on peacebuilding, grant writing and with organizations that have projects already on the ground. We apply our expertise, skills, tools, resources to design new innovative approaches to build awareness of shared cultural heritage across ethnic groups.
Our work focuses on research and collection of data on the root causes of violent extremism by understanding the religious normative languages in order to break the cycle of radicalization.
Our services
Our work includes international consulting in conflict management, good governance, understanding violent extremism, and project management. We provide data, research papers, and analysis in different topics at the demand of partners and clients.
Meet our dedicated team
Our partners

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El Hadj has a MA in English language and literature and a Masters in international relations and diplomacy. El Hadj has more than 10 years of experience in international development and peacebuilding. He is a fellow of the Obama Foundation, One young world Peace ambassador and a Mandela Washington Fellow.
Ambassador Cynthia P. Schneider, Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, teaches, publishes, and organizes initiatives in the area of diplomacy and culture.
Peter Chilson teaches writing and literature at Washington State University. He is the author of four books, including three books on Africa, including Disturbance-Loving Species: A Novella and Stories.