On Oct. 11-18, Nabil Al-Tikriti, associate professor of Middle Eastern history, served as an election monitor for the Montenegro parliamentary elections. Joining eight other Americans in the U.S. delegation, Al-Tikriti worked as an OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) STO (Short Term Observer) in several rural villages and a provincial capital in the mountains, Mojkovac. His observation partner was a Russian diplomat based in Slovenia. For more information on these Belarus elections, and OSCE’s support of these elections, please see: http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/montenegro/245866.

In the course of his visit, Al-Tikriti also spent two days at the coastal town of Budva, where the OSCE observers carried out preliminary briefings, and spent a day surveying polling stations (see picture) while exploring several Montenegro churches, cemeteries and national parks.

Associate Professor of History and American Studies Nabil Al-Tikriti participated in the Integrating Humanitarian Response and Cultural Heritage in Disasters workshop on Oct. 6-7.  Sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution’s Cultural Rescue Initiative (CRI), the workshop was held at the National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C.

On the first day, Al-Tikriti joined 26 other officials and experts in following presentations on cultural heritage protection in conflict and disaster zones, both domestic and international (including two presentations on efforts underway in Syria). On the second day, he provided a 15-minute response to the previous day’s presentations and discussions, before joining the other participants in deliberative breakout sessions.

Invited because of both his prior work on the looting of Iraqi manuscript collections following the 2003 Anglo-American-Australian invasion and his ongoing work with MSF/Doctors Without Borders USA, Al-Tikriti joined officials and representatives from the Smithsonian Institution, State Department, U.S. Institute of Peace, FEMA, American Red Cross, World Bank, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Park Service, National Guard, the Rose Museum at Brandeis University, George Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania to provide a variety of perspectives on potential institutional, legal and communication structures in the field of cultural rescue in the years to come.

On Friday, April 29, UMW Associate Professor of Middle Eastern History and MSF/Doctors Without Borders USA Board Member Nabil Al-Tikriti spoke on BBC’s “Up All Night” radio program on BBC Radio 5 Live about the bombing of hospitals and other health facilities in Syria and other conflict zones.  In the course of his interview with BBC, Al-Tikriti addressed the difficulty of serving as a relief worker in conflict zones such as Syria, the dangers springing from multiple violations to International Humanitarian Law, and the potential breakdown of a partial ceasefire in Syria.

The interview can be accessed through Saturday, May 28, at the following link by listening to minutes 23:00-30:15: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07848m6.

In his capacity as a board member of the United States section of  MSF/Doctors Without Borders, Nabil Al-Tikriti, associate professor of history and American studies, participated in the annual Field Associative Debate (FAD) for MSF staff serving throughout Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, in Amman, on March 5-6.

This year’s regional FAD topic covered MSF’s “Medical Care Under Fire” initiative and MSF’s social and traditional media communications profile in the Middle East.  After debating this year’s topics, staff members then presented recommendations and motions for consideration by the MSF International General Assembly. Immediately prior to and following this year’s FAD, Prof. Al-Tikriti joined several colleagues on brief field visits to MSF projects in Za’atari Refugee Camp, al-Ramtha and Amman. Upon his return, he reviewed a FAD report and completed a brief memo on regional operations for internal review.

Prior to visiting Jordan, Al-Tikriti presented UMW’s cooperative academic programs to an audience of 200+ students and faculty at Istanbul Sabahettin Zaim Universitesi (IZU) in Istanbul, Turkey, on Feb. 25 (see picture). In the course of this presentation, it grew clear that there is great interest among IZU’s student body to study English as a Second Language, Education, and Business at UMW.

Shortly after his return to Virginia, Al-Tikriti made a presentation to students at the Georgetown University School of Medicine on March 21. Appearing with Prof. Daniel Neep of Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS), the event was titled “The Syrian Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis: A Panel Discussion.” In the course of this presentation, he discussed MSF’s ongoing role in the Syrian civil war, as well as his personal experiences serving as Deputy Head of Mission with MSF in cross-border operations along the Turkish-Syrian border in 2013.

Over a four week period, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern History Nabil Al-Tikriti discussed roles and policies of MSF/Doctors Without Borders USA in three separate D.C. area events. On the evenings of Oct. 14 and 21, he joined Athena Viscusi to discuss his field experience at the El Tamarindo restaurant in Adams Morgan.

On both nights, after Ms. Viscusi discussed her role volunteering for MSF during last year’s Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Prof. Al-Tikriti described his role this past May and June serving as a cultural mediator on the SS Bourbon Argos, which engaged in rescuing refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast.

For those interested, there will be an additional event led by other MSF field volunteers at the same restaurant on Nov. 23. Here is a link to the second event’s announcement: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/face-to-face-in-dc-2nd-night-registration-18928590925?aff=ebrowse.

On Nov. 5, Prof. Al-Tikriti offered a guest lecture at Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs, in Alexandria, Va. In the course of this lecture, Al-Tikriti discussed MSF’s values, philosophy, and policies, particularly in the area of military-NGO cooperation.

From Oct. 6-13, Dr. Nabil Al-Tikriti, associate professor of Middle Eastern history, served as an election monitor for the Belarus presidential election. Joining more than 30 other Americans in the U.S. delegation, Al-Tikriti worked as an OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and STO (Short Term Observer) in the capital city, Minsk. His observation partner was a Czech national and former U.N.D.P. staff member; the team’s interpreter was a college professor of English; and the team’s driver was a cardiac surgeon. For more information on these Belarus elections, and OSCE’s support of these elections, please see:  http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/belarus/174776.

In the course of his visit, Al-Tikriti also observed a Belarus primary school musical performance, toured the national museum, and visited several monuments, including the Lenin statue pictured here.