Sahar Namazikhah

Sahar Namazikhah is a journalist with seventeen years of professional experience with top non-governmental newspapers of Iran, and subsequently in the United States. She has published hundreds of editorials, op-eds, and analytical reports on civil society, cultural and religious conflicts, ethnic minorities, women’s movements and international organizations. At George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, she teaches courses on conflict resolution techniques and practice, simulations in global conflict, and interpersonal conflict. She has designed and directed experiential educational programs in the Middle East, which explores issues related to minority rights, ethical peacebuilding and nonviolence.

In 2005, she was selected as a Sauvé Scholar at McGill University in Canada. This prestigious award and scholarship goes to those young leaders from across the globe whose unique initiative, motivation, vision, and awareness of international and domestic issues shows a strong desire to effect and change the world. In 2013, she was awarded as a Visionary Peacemaker in the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution's Center for the Study of Gender and Conflict. She holds a Bachelor's degree in French Literature, Master's degree in Comparative Religion and Mysticism, and a Post-Master's Certificate in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuiliding. Her Ph.D. concentration is in conflict prevention, inter-state dialogue, and the Middle Eastern conflict with a special focus on domestic and international conflicts related to Iran.