Congratulations to SIS Professor Mohammed Abu-Nimer who has been awarded the 2025 Peace Educator-Scholar Award from the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA).

This award recognizes exemplary teaching and/or excellence in scholarship and dedication to forwarding peace education and peace studies. Abu-Nimer’s research and work on education for forgiveness and reconciliation in the Arab region and the role of religious and interreligious agencies in advancing peace and human rights in conflict areas illustrate his significant contributions to the field.

Dr. Sa’ed Atshan, Co-Chair of PJSA and Acting Awards Co-Chair, praised Abu-Nimer’s “long-standing commitment to the field through teaching, scholarship, and practice which has shaped generations of peacebuilders.”

The award will be presented to Professor Abu-Nimer during the 2025 PJSA Annual Conference, which will take place October 9 - 12 at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

“I am honored that PJSA, our main network in the field, has recognized this work on education for peace and justice, especially during this period of an increased polarization and militarization, as tools to solve conflicts,” Abu-Nimer said.

Abu-Nimer is a full professor in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at American University and the Chair of the Said Abdul Aziz for Peace and Conflict Resolution. He previously served as the director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute from 1999 to 2013 and is the co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development. With over 35 years of teaching experience, he has developed numerous courses on peacebuilding and conflict resolution and has published extensively on these subjects. His recent research focuses on faith-based peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue in peacebuilding and social cohesion, and pedagogical approaches to incorporating peace, reconciliation and forgiveness education in the Arab and Muslim worlds.

The PJSA is national and international association founded in 2001 through the merger of two organizations: the Consortium on Peace Research, Education, and Development and the Peace Studies Association. It represents scholars, educators, activists, and practitioners in the U.S., Canada, and globally who are committed to advancing peace, social justice, and nonviolence through education, research, and action.