Keynote Speaker
Dr. Amr Abdalla
Dr. Abdalla is a Professor Emeritus at the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) with main campus in Costa Rica. He is the Baker Institute Scholar in Residence at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies of Juniata College. He is also the Senior Advisor on Conflict Resolution at the Washington-based organization KARAMAH (Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights).
From 2014 to 2017 he was the Senior Advisor on Policy Analysis and Research at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of Addis Ababa University. In 2013-2014, he was Vice President of SALAM Institute for Peace and Justice in Washington, D.C. From 2004-2013 he was Professor, Dean and Vice Rector at UPEACE. Prior to that, he was a Senior Fellow with the Peace Operations Policy Program, School of Public Policy, at George Mason University, Virginia. He was also a Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Leesburg, Virginia.
Both his academic and professional careers are multi-disciplinary. He obtained a law degree in Egypt in 1977 where he practiced law as a prosecuting attorney from 1978 to 1986. From 1981-1986, he was a member of the public prosecutor team investigating the case of the assassination of President Sadat and numerous other terrorism cases. He then emigrated to the U.S. where he obtained a Master's degree in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. He has been teaching graduate classes in conflict analysis and resolution, and has conducted training, research and evaluation of conflict resolution and peacebuilding programs in numerous countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.
He has been an active figure in promoting inter-faith dialogue and effective cross-cultural messages through workshops and community presentations in the United States and beyond. He pioneered the development of the first conflict resolution teaching and training manual for Muslim communities titled (“…Say Peace”). He also founded Project LIGHT (Learning Islamic Guidance for Human Tolerance), a community peer-based anti-discrimination project funded by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). In 2011, he established with Egyptian UPEACE graduates a program for community prevention of sectarian violence in Egypt (Ahl el Hetta). In 2018 he led the publication of the first Arabic Glossary of Terms in Peace and Conflict Studies in cooperation with UNDP-Iraq and the Iraqi Amal Association. In 2021, he published a pioneering book in Arabic “Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies” in cooperation with the Iraqi Amal Association and the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Keynote abstract: “Finding and Fostering Hope in Violent Times: Stories from the Field! The tireless work of peace and conflict scholars and practitioners has provided effective analytical tools and constructive means for resolving and transforming violent conflicts. These efforts have guided and informed peace workers and educators worldwide for decades. Perhaps one of the most creative and relatable approaches in this regard has been the search for silver linings of hope in the midst of chaos and violence. Indeed, such examples have inspired many during the most trying times of conflicts, and provided direction and focus to peace efforts. In this keynote, Dr. Abdalla will share stories of hope in violent times that he has come across through his research, evaluation, training and teaching worldwide. He will discuss examples from the world of true peaceful glimpses of hope that have shone in the darkness of violence and have contributed to paving the way for durable peace. Dr. Abdalla will also provide tips for researching such examples of hope through sound methodologies.