Doha: The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) held a lecturer on "Islam, Conflict Transformation, and Peacebuilding," which forms a critical component of its Master's Programme on Islam and Global Affairs.
Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution HE Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani delivered a lecture on the Qatari experience in conflict resolution. Dr. Al Qahtani had a rich repertoire of in-the-field anecdotes that exemplified the trends and challenges in peacebuilding, the complexities that mediators face in highly politicized situations, and the realities of peace diplomacy.
He utilized Afghanistan as a case study, and highlighted Qatar's unique position which has allowed the state to develop its own brand of diplomacy in the wider political context. Dr. Al Qahtani drew attention to cultural and political nuances that are often unnoticed, the added entanglements of disparate political ties, and the related successes and failures of diplomacy.
Dr. Mustafa Osman Elamin, a member of faculty at CIS, hosted the lecture and facilitated the engagement through his own experiences as former Foreign Minister and Minister of Investment of Sudan. He said: "The peacebuilding world is a continually evolving discipline and one in which academia and practice continually interact and propel its development. Ideally, our graduate students not only need a strong academic foundation to delve into the complexities of political affairs, but understand that much of it is fed by the actions and advancements of agents in the field. We are deeply thankful to HE Dr. Al Qahtani for his masterful framing of what the practice of conflict transformation truly entails and the intricacy of political diplomacy."
