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
 * Library of Congress, Search Committee for Selection of Director of Islamic Programs
 * 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

US Government

 * Agency for International Development, Grantee
 * Department of Defense, Consultant
 * United States Institute of Peace, Workshop on Islamic Perspectives on Peace and Violence, Co-Chair
 * United States Intelligence Community, Defense Intelligence School (now the National Intelligence University), Lecturer

Department of State

 * Bureau of Intelligence and Research, “Negotiated Solutions for the Crisis in Syria Group,” Participant
 * Democratic Principles Group, “Future of Iraq Project,” George W. Bush Administration, Member
 * Foreign Service Institute, Status of Lecturer
 * Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, George W. Bush Administration, Advisor

Defense, Lecturer

 * Army Infantry Academy, Fort Benning
 * Army Sergeant Academy, Fort Bliss
 * Industrial College of the Armed Forces
 * US Marine Corps and Command Academy and Staff College
 * US Air Force Academy
 * US Coast Guard Academy
 * US Naval War College
 * West Point Military Academy
 * US Information Agency (USIA), “Speaker and Specialist Program,” Lecturer throughout the Middle East and Persian Gulf, Europe, Latin and South America, North, East, and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia (1964-1999)

White House

 * “Committee on the Islamic World,” Member, President Jimmy Carter Administration
 * Executive Office of the President, National Security Council, “Islam and US Foreign Policy,” Presenter, President Bill Clinton Administration
 * White House Annual Conference on Children and Youth, “Youth and Bureaucracy,” Presenter, President Richard Nixon Administration

International Public Service

 * Arab-Israeli Peace Dialogues (various Tunis, US, Austria, Jordan), Participant
 * Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Institute, Committee Member

United Nations

 * Development Programme, Consultant
 * Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Consultant

University service

 * Committee on Academic Development, Chair
 * Faculty Relations Committee of the American University, Member and Chair
 * Library Committee of the American University, Chair
 * Presidential Search Committee of The American University, Member
 * School of International Service Term Faculty Action Committee, Member and Chair
 * School of International Service, International Relations Sub-Faculty, Chair
 * School of International Service, President of Faculty
 * School of International Service, Rank and Tenure Committee, Member and Chair
 * The American University Faculty Senate, Member and Chair
 * The American University, The Scholar Diplomat Program, Moderator
 * University Admissions Committee, Member and Chair
 * Various School of International Service Faculty Search Committees, Chair

Programmatic contributions
Contributions include developing the following educational, research and outreach programs and activities:


 * AU Center for Global Peace
 * Center for Cooperative Global Development
 * Center for Mediterranean Studies
 * Community for Social Change and Political Participation in the Middle East and Africa
 * Consortium PhD in Islamic Studies, greater Washington consortium
 * Creative Peacebuilding Initiatives
 * International Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
 * Project PEN: Peace and Conflict Resolution Education for Public School Students in Washington, DC
 * Islamic Peace Studies
 * Mohamed Said Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace
 * Summer Institute for Teachers: Education for Global Citizenship
 * Washington Semester in International Peace and Conflict Resolution
 * Washington Semester in Islam and World Affairs
 * Washington Semester in Foreign Policy

Awards

 * Delta Phi Epsilon Pi, “Award for Service and Excellence”
 * “El-Hibri Peace Education Prize,” First Recipient (2007)
 * The Inter-American Defense College, “Diploma Honoris Causa” Continental Defense
 * International Political Science Association, “Teh-Kuang Chang Award for Outstanding Scholar on Asian and Pacific Studies Award” (2018)
 * International Studies Association, “Distinguished Scholar of Peace Studies Award”
 * The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, Fourth Annual “Fellowship of Peace Award” (2007)
 * Mortar Board, “Outstanding Faculty Award”
 * The National Endowment for Democracy, Grantee
 * Phi Epsilon Pi National Jewish Fraternity, “Living Legend Award” (2004)
 * Search for Common Ground, “Certificate of Appreciation for Extraordinary Service”
 * The Rockefeller Foundation, Grantee
 * The United States Institute of Peace, Grantee
 * United States House of Representatives, “House Speaking Series Award”
 * Young Presidents’ Organization, Named among the “Top 200 YPO Lecturers Internationally”
 * Who’s Who in America, 43rd Edition, Listed

Scholarships and Named Funds

 * Abdul Aziz Said Chair in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, American University
 * Abdul Aziz Said Graduate Scholarship in Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies, American University
 * Abdul Aziz Said Peace and Conflict Resolution Fund, American University
 * Abdul Aziz Said Phi Epsilon Pi Scholarship, American University

American University Awards

 * African Students’ Association Award
 * “Darrell Randall Award for Outstanding Service to the University”
 * Distinguished Service in the School of International Service: 1957-2015 (2015)
 * Distinguished Service to the University, College of Public Affairs
 * Faculty Excellence Award
 * Golden Eagles Reunion, Honorary Chairman (2009)
 * Graduate Student Association, “Outstanding Service Award”
 * Honors Program, Honors Professor of the Year (2007-2008)
 * Outstanding Contribution to Academic Development
 * Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Professional Contributions (2009)
 * Office of Multicultural Affairs, “Multicultural Award”
 * School of International Service Fall Annual Dinner, Honoree (2006)
 * University Faculty Outstanding Service
 * Washington Semester Program, “Best Speaker Award”

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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Said, Abdul Aziz; Protagonists of Change: Subcultures in Development and Revolution, ed., Spectrum Books, Prentice-Hall, 1971.
 * Said, Abdul Aziz; Protagonists of Change: Subcultures in Development and Revolution, ed., Spectrum Books, Prentice-Hall, 1971.
 * Said, Abdul Aziz; Protagonists of Change: Subcultures in Development and Revolution, ed., Spectrum Books, Prentice-Hall, 1971.
 * Said, Abdul Aziz; Protagonists of Change: Subcultures in Development and Revolution, ed., Spectrum Books, Prentice-Hall, 1971.
 * Said, Abdul Aziz; Protagonists of Change: Subcultures in Development and Revolution, ed., Spectrum Books, Prentice-Hall, 1971.
 * Said, Abdul Aziz; Protagonists of Change: Subcultures in Development and Revolution, ed., Spectrum Books, Prentice-Hall, 1971.