Research Experience

Adyan Foundation

In addition to being executive director at Adyan, as a subject matter expert, I worked on several research projects that feed into the core values and concepts that the organization works with. The nice theories of coexistence, inclusive citizenship, freedom of religion and belief, religious social responsibility, teaching contested narratives, and controversial issues, needed to be validated and supported by empirical evidence, and the impact of different projects needed to be measured and tested. Some of the research work produced during my time at Adyan include:

– Inclusive Citizenship & the Refugees Challenge (2022) Adyan Foundation – ISPI

– Youth Public Opinion for Non-Sectarian Politics in Lebanon: An Evidence-Based Report (2021), Adyan Foundation

– The Situation of Christian Minorities in Iraq: A multi-perspective approach (2019), Adyan Foundation

ALEF act for human rights

monitoring and reporting on human rights violations is a significant part of advancing the cause of human rights, the complementary part is research. In addition to contributing to annual and thematic reports and to policy brief and advocacy papers, my research for ALEF included:

– Perceptions of Security among Syrian Refugees and Lebanese Host Community – Al Marj Bekaa, (2015) ALEF

– The Universal Periodic Review: Lebanon under the Spotlight (Arabic) (2011) Raoul Wallenberg Institute

– Human Rights in the Lebanese Electoral Laws (Arabic) (2012) Raoul Wallenberg Institute

– The Socio-Political & Cultural Contexts of Violence & their Impact on the Acceptance of Torture in Lebanon (2011) ALEF

MEIRSS

As director of the research center, I managed the overall research agenda, set priorities, guided researchers, coached interns, and supervised the publication of more than 20 research papers, political commentary, and articles per year. My personal research contribution varied in kind and topics covered. Some sample of publications included:

– The Head out of the Sand: Return of Syrian Refugees Approaches and Prospects (2018) KAS – MEIRSS

– Understanding ISIS (Sep 2014) MEIRSS

Political Commentary

– Lebanon’s October Uprising (Nov 2019)

– Hariri’s Resignation: A New Predicament in Lebanon’s Polity (Nov 2017)

– Lebanon’s New Electoral Law: A Major Breakthrough (Jun 2017)

– Why Proportional Representation is not Suitable for Lebanon’s Electoral Law (Arabic) (Apr 2017)

– Lebanon’s Electoral Predicament (Apr 2017)

– The Reasoning Behind the Trump Phenomenon (Nov 2016)

Young Men Christian Association (YMCA)

International Management & Training Institute (2002 – 2004)

As a Research Assistant / Project Officer I was part of the research and output report:

– The Status of Lebanese Youth and the level of their practice of democracy and citizenship: An analytical study

Other

As a PhD student and then as a professor I participated in and presented academic research papers on average in at least two academic national and international conferences per year, many of these were later published in conference proceedings or were transformed into book chapters.

Other research included an edited book, journal articles, and different reports for national and international organizations.

Some samples include:

– Advocating for Change in the Arab World: Successes and Failures of Lebanon’s Civil Society (2018) in The Civil Society Review, Is 3, pp.104-137.

– Dealing with the Legacy of Political Violence in Lebanon: An Agenda for Change, (2014) International Center for Transitional Justice

– The New Jerusalem: An Oriental Catholic Perspective, Politics and Religion journal, (2011) Vol. 5, No.2, pp. 167-178

– Lebanon’s case” in Effect of Migration Policies on Human Rights in the European Neighborhood, European Parliament, (2011), pp. 52-57

– Interreligious Dialogue in Conflict Resolution and Peace Building: Three Levels of Engagement for Peace and Security (2023), Security Force Assistance Center of Excellence, NATO

– Religious Pluralism: Problems and Solutions, in Religion, Religious Places and Conflict (2020), University of Munster & University of Nicosia.

– Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Separation as a pre-requisite for Ethno-Cultural Tolerance (2010), International Political Science Association, Conference proceedings,9-18