PrintDavid R. Smock
Vice President, Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Religion and Peacemaking Center of Innovation
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Contact
Phone: (202) 429-3843
E-mail: dsmock@usip.org
Resources & Tools
Conflict, Identity, and Reform in the Muslim World highlights the challenges that escalating identity conflicts within Muslim-majority states pose for both the Muslim world and for the West, an issue that has received scant attention in policy and academic circles.
In coordination with the United Nations Mediation Support Unit and in collaboration with a number of other mediation institutes and experts, USIP is developing a series of "best practices" handbooks on key aspects of mediation and peacemaking. The series is being designed for experienced mediation practitioners and negotiators, but will be a valuable resource for students and policymakers. Future handbooks include: Assessing and Enhancing Ripeness, Negotiating with Terrorists, Dealing with the Impact of an International Tribunal on a Peace Process; Managing Public Information in a Mediation Process, Debriefing a Mediation Effort, Coordinating Track I and II Efforts, and Addressing Internally Displaced Persons in a Peace Process.
Muslims in general and Muslim leaders particularly have often been severely criticized for not more energetically condemning the violent acts of Muslim extremists. The uninformed often assume that extremists represent Islam’s mainstream.
David R. Smock is the vice president of the Institute's Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution and associate vice president of the Religion and Peacemaking program, one of the Centers of Innovation. Previously he served as director of the USIP's Grant Program and coordinator of Africa activities.
He has worked on African issues for more than 30 years and lived in Africa for 11 years. As a staff member of the Ford Foundation from 1964 to 1980, he served in Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, Nigeria and New York.
From 1980 to 1986, Smock served concurrently as director of the South African Education Program, a scholarship program that brings black South African students to U.S. universities and vice president for program development and research for the Institute of International Education. After serving as executive associate to the president of the United Church of Christ from 1986 to 1989, Smock became executive director of International Voluntary Services, supervising development projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
He received an M.Div. from New York Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Cornell University.
Publications:
- Managing A Mediation Process, co-author (USIP Press, 2008).
- Religion in World Affairs: Its Role in Conflict and Peace
Special Report (February 2008) - Uganda/Lord's Resistance Army Peace Negotiations
USIPeace Briefing (February 2008) - New Strategies for Darfur
USIPeace Briefing (April 2007) - How to Respond to Somalia's Current Crisis
USIPeace Briefing (August 2006) - Religious Contributions to Peacemaking: When Religion Brings Peace, Not War
Peaceworks (January 2006) - Applying Islamic Principles in the Twenty-first Century: Nigeria, Iran, and Indonesia
Special Report (September 2005) - Teaching about the Religious Other
Special Report (July 2005) - Ijtihad: Reinterpreting Islamic Principles for the Twenty-first Century
Special Report (August 2004) - The Role of Religion in Iraqi Politics
USIPeace Briefing (December 2003) - Religious Politics in Iraq
USIPeace Briefing (May 2003) - Building Interreligious Trust in a Climate of Fear: An Abrahamic Trialogue
Special Report (February 2003) - Would an Invasion of Iraq Be a "Just War"?
Special Report (January 2003) - Islam and Democracy
Special Report (September 2002) - Islamic Perspectives on Peace and Violence
Special Report (January 2002) - Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding, editor (USIP Press 2002).
- Religious Perspectives on War, revised edition (USIP Press 2002).
- Faith-Based NGOs and International Peacebuilding
Special Report (October 2001) - Catholic Contributions to International Peace
Special Report (April 2001) - Post-Genocidal Reconstruction: Building Peace in Rwanda and Burundi
Special Report (September 1999) - Can Nigeria Make a Peaceful Transition to Democratic Governance?
Special Report (December 1997) - NGOs and the Peace Process in Angola
Special Report (April 1996) - Perspectives on Pacifism: Christian, Jewish and Muslim Views on Nonviolence and International Conflict, (USIP Press 1995).
Available on usip.org
- Exploring Conflict in the Great Lakes Region
Congressional Testimony, December 4, 1996
Events
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May 16, 2000
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April 16, 2000
Countries: Burundi
| Issue Areas: Humanitarian Efforts, International and Regional Organizations, Peacekeeping
| Programs: Grants & Fellowships
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June 18, 2002
Issue Areas: Governance, Religion
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December 17, 2002
Countries: Iraq
| Issue Areas: Political Systems and International Relations, Religion, Use of Force
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