We at Search for Common Ground mourn the passing of Professor Abdul Aziz Said at age 91.
A former member of our organization’s Board of Directors, Professor Said was a champion of peacebuilding who immeasurably contributed to the emergence of our field with his work as an academic and a passionate advocate. He 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.
Our CEO Shamil Idriss said, “Professor Abdul Aziz Said was more than a scholar and practitioner of peacebuilding–he was its personification. A gentle soul with a towering intellect, a patient teacher and mentor to thousands over his decades as a professor, and an inspiration to many more through his scholarship and example. We at Search for Common Ground benefited from his generous heart and keen mind for more than a decade of his service on our Board of Directors and in incalculable ways from the young peacebuilding talent that he inspired and has passed through our offices, programs, and partners. Our condolences go out to his family, to his colleagues at American University, and to his countless students and admirers. May he rest in peace.”
Photo courtesy of Kim-Thao Nguyen and Patrick Quealy, CC BY 2.0
