Abdul Aziz Said

Abdul Aziz Said (September 1, 1930 – January 22, 2021) was Professor Emeritus of International Relations in the School of International Service at American University, Washington, D.C., and founding Director of the university's International Peace and Conflict Resolution Division. Said was well known for helping shift the focus of International Relations theory from real politic-based on the concept that the law of power governs states, to new world order-based on cooperation and common security. Starting in the 1990s Said focused his work on peace and conflict resolution and later explored the relationship between spirituality and religion in international politics.
Said was the first occupant of the Mohamed Said Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace and Director Emeritus and Founder of the Center for Global Peace. He was called by the university AU's “Living Legend of Peace” and a singular institution promoting peace by the Washington Post Magazine. He actively engaged in many conflict resolution projects, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the Iraq conflict. Dr. Said holds the distinction of the longest teaching tenure at AU having started teaching in 1956 until retiring in 2015. He is the author and editor of 25 books and over 100 papers. He developed over a dozen educational and research programs. Said has served as an advisor to numerous US and international agencies, including the Carter and Bush administrations, the United Nations, the US Department of State, and UNESCO. He has also served on numerous Boards, including Human Rights International and The Center for Religion and Diplomacy. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including The International Studies Association's “Distinguished Scholar in Peace Studies and the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize
Editorial boards
American Senator
Human Rights Quarterly
International Journal of Nonviolence
Journal of Peacebuilding and Development
Peace Review
Kosmos Journal
Membership on boards of directors and/or advisors
Center for Democracy and Election Management (CDEM)
Center for Peace Building International
Center for the Study of the Presidency: National Committee to Unite a Divided America
Council on Foreign Relations: Power-Sharing and Minority Rights in Iraq
Council on US-Syrian Relations
Creative Peace Building Initiatives
Ecumenical Council of Washington, DC
El Hibri Charitable Foundation
Findhorn Foundation, Scotland
Fulbright Senior Specialist Program
Global Alliance for Transnational Education (GATE)
Global Education Associates
Human Rights International
Institute on the United States in World Affairs
International Association of University Presidents: U.N. Commission on Arms Control
International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX)
International Studies Association
Jones International University-University of The Web
Joint Program on Conflict Resolution (Institute for Victims of Trauma)
Karamah – Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights
Mohamed S. Farsi Foundation
National Peace Foundation
National Youth Advocate Program
Nonviolence International
Peacebuilding & Development Institute
Search for Common Ground
Seven Pillars House of Wisdom
The Omega Institute
Washington National Cathedral Interfaith Curriculum Advisory Council
Youth Advocate Program International
Public service
Advisor, the United States Department of State on the “Future of Iraq” project, Democratic Principles Group
Advisor, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy
Member, White House Committee on the Islamic World
President, Regional Chapter of the International Studies Association
Member, National Council, International Studies Association
Consultant to the United Nations Development Program
Consultant to UNESCO
Participant in Arab-Israeli peace dialogues
Consultant to USIA, the Department of State, and the Department of Defense
Prepared the Report, "Youth and Bureaucracy", for the White House Youth Conference, February, 1971.
University service
Member and Chair, Term Faculty Action Committee, School of International Service
Member and Chair, The American University Faculty Senate
Member and Chair, Faculty Relations Committee of the American University
Member and Chair, University Admission Committee
Member and Chair, Rank and Tenure Committee, School of International Service
President and Faculty, School of International Service
Chair, International Relations Sub-Faculty, School of International Service.
Chair, Committee on Academic Development
Moderator, The Scholar Diplomat Program, The American University
Chair, Library Committee of the American University
Chair, Faculty Search Committees
Member, Presidential Search Committee of American University
Programmatic contributions
Contributions include developing the following educational, research and outreach programs and activities:
AU Center for Global Peace
Islamic Peace Studies
International Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
Center for Cooperative Global Development
Community for Social Change and Political Participation in the Middle East and Africa
Center for Mediterranean Studies
Summer Institute for Teachers: Education for Global Citizenship
Creative Peacebuilding Initiatives
Washington Semester in International Peace and Conflict Resolution
Washington Semester in Islam and World Affairs
Washington Semester in Foreign Policy
Consortium PhD in Islamic Studies, greater Washington consortium
Honors, awards, and fellowships
International Studies Association, Distinguished Scholar of Peace Studies
Delta Phi Epsilon Pi Award for Service and Excellence
American University Outstanding Contribution to Academic Development Award
The University Faculty Award, Outstanding Service to the American University
The Annual Award of the College of Public Affairs, Distinguished Service to the university
Outstanding Faculty Award Mortar Board
Faculty Excellence Award
Status of Lecturer at the Foreign Service Institute, Department of State
Best Speaker Award by the Washington Semester Program
Grantee, The Rockefeller Foundation
Grantee, The United States Institutes of Peace
Grantee, National Endowment for Democracy
Grantee, United States Agency for International Development
Phi Epsilon Pi National Jewish Fraternity, “Living Legend” Award (2004)
Abdul Aziz Said Phi Epsilon Pi Scholarship (named after)
Abdul Aziz Said Scholarship, Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies (named after)
African Students Association Award
Outstanding Service Award, American University Graduate Student Association
Multicultural Award, American University Office of Multicultural Affairs
SIS Fall Annual Dinner Honoree, American University (2006)
Mahatma Gandhi Foundation Fourth Annual Fellowship of Peace Award (2007)
El-Hibri Peace Education Prize (2007)
Honors Professor of the Year, American University Honors Program (2007-2008)
American University Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Professional Contributions (2009)
Honorary Chairman, Golden Eagles Reunion, American University (2009)
American University Award for Distinguished Service in the School of International Service 1957-2015 (2015)
Recipient International Political Science Association's Teh-Kuang Chang Award for Outstanding Scholar on Asian and Pacific Studies (2018)
Selected works
Minding the Heart, Forthcoming.
“Peace, the Inside Story”, Forthcoming.
“Searching for Common Grounds and Partnerships for a Better World” New Beginning: From Discourse to Action ed. Moshen Youssef. Forthcoming.
Said, Abdul Aziz; "Localizing Peace: An Agenda for Sustainable Peacemaking," (co-authored with Nathan Funk), Peace and Conflict Studies, Spring 2010, 17.1.
Said, Abdul Aziz; Peace as a Human Right: Towards an Integrated Understanding, (co-authored with Charles Lerche) in Human Rights and Conflict: Exploring the Links Between Rights, Law, and Peacebuilding (Eds.) Julie Mertus and Jeffrey W. Helsing, United States Institute of Peace, December 2006.
Said, Abdul Aziz; Contemporary Islam: Dynamic, Not Static, co-edited with Meena Sharify-Funk and Mohammed Abu-Nimer, 2006.
Said, Abdul Aziz; Bridges, Not Barriers, Essays on Exploring a Global Dream, The Fetzer Institute, Summer 2006, Essay Number 1.
Said, Abdul Aziz; The World of Islam, with Abdul Karim Bangura. Pearson Custom Publishing, 2004.
Said, Abdul Aziz; "Vision 20/20: Future of the Middle East," editor, Search for Common Ground, 2001.
Said, Abdul Aziz; Protagonists of Change: Subcultures in Development and Revolution, ed., Spectrum Books, Prentice-Hall, 1971.
See also
Ethnic interest groups in the United States
References
External links
Celebrating 30 Years of Nonviolence International - Professor Abdul Aziz Said, March 23, 2020
American University's Living Legend, Abdul Aziz Said, May 1, 2018
C-SPAN Appearance on "Political Transition in Iraq", February 18, 2014
Abdul Aziz Said Lecture on "Contextualizing Politics", Bulgarian Embassy, Sponsored by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, February, 2012
Abdul Aziz Said Lecture on "Islamic-Western Peacemaking: Partnerships for a Better World", Sponsored by the Wheatley Institution at Brigham Young University, February 8, 2011
Abdul Aziz Said Interview on "Winning (or Losing) Hearts and Minds? Dialogue, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. July 9, 2011
Abdul Aziz Said Lecture on "What Peace Will Look Like", Sponsored by Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs, September 29, 1994.
The Daily Star Lebanon Articles by Abdul Aziz Said, 1998-2005
Abdul Aziz Said Interview, "Abdul Aziz Said on the conflict in Syria". Daily Motion, Jovany Jadyn
C-SPAN Appearance on "Nuclear Issues" with Petra Kelly, March 24, 1988,
American University School of International Service Tribute Article. https://www.american.edu/sis/news/20210215-a-tribute-to-abdul-aziz-said.cfm
Place of birth missing
American University faculty and staff
American international relations scholars
Syrian academics
American male writers
American political scientists
Syrian emigrants to the United States
1930 births
2021 deaths