CV (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
k.ahmed@uwinnipeg.ca
umahme33@myumanitoba.ca
179 Singh Trail, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R2R2A5
Kawser Ahmed, PhD, is an educator and researcher in peace and conflict studies who has in-depth understanding of social conflict and its peaceful transformation. While serving in the UN peacekeeping operations in conflict zones, he earned experience in peacebuilding, mediation, and transformative dialogue in resolving inter-group conflict. He developed insights in conflict by studying social resistance, terrorism, and extremism in global and local contexts. He undertook several researches on community focused conflict intervention, refugee crisis, and youth extremism in western and non-western contexts. His publication encompasses topics such as peacebuilding, counter-radicalization, economic aid and conflict intervention, national counter-terrorism strategies, and UN peacekeeping operations. His research interests are: inter-personal and inter-group social conflict transformation and peacebuilding; radicalization to violence, political violence, ideology driven extremism and community-based intervention; external aid and peacebuilding; military intervention and critical security studies; South and South-East Asian security; and migration/displacement related conflict. He leads a Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada based research think tank, Conflict and Resilience Research Institute, Canada (CRRIC). He is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada.
EDUCATION
- University of Manitoba, Canada, Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice Studies, PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies (degree received on 1st Feb 2017), general examination fields: Social conflict (Western urban context), conflict transformation, and peacebuilding.
- University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mphil in Peace and Conflict studies, Western Sahara conflict and making of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
- Royal University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, MBA, Strategic human resource management
- National University, Bangladesh, MDS, (Masters in Defence Studies), Geographic information system (GIS) and its implementation in the Bangladesh Army
- Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), Milwaukee, WI 53224, USA, Instructor in non-violent crisis intervention
Social Conflict and Peacebuilding: The Perceptions, Experiences, and Contributions of Leaders of Selected Community-Based Organizations in Winnipeg, Manitoba, advisor: Professor Dr. Sean Byrne, University of Manitoba, Canada
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
- Adjunct Professor, University of Winnipeg (political science) – 2020 till now
- Research Associate (CPN-PREV, UQAM) – 2019 -2020
- Junior research affiliate with the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security, and Safety (TSAS) – 2014 till now
- Research fellow, Centre for Defence and Security Studies, University of Manitoba – 2012 till now
- Research assistant, Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice Studies, University of Manitoba – 2010-2013
- Course participant (alumni), Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), Washington DC, USA – 2009
- UN Peacekeeper (MINURSO mission) – 2001-2002
- Course member, Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) – 1995-1996
- Lieutenant Colonel (Bangladesh Army) – 1990-2010
AWARDS AND HONORS
- Community Service Award (Protective Services Branch, Emergency Measures Organization, Manitoba Government) – 2015
- Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean’s Award- 2013
- Graduate Research Award (Global Disarmament Simons Foundation, BC and Department of Foreign Trade and Investment (DFAIT, Canada) – 2011 (2010-2011 Graduate Research Awards Debates on Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, paper)
- UN Medal for Peacekeeping – 2002
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Post-doctoral Fellowship (SSHRC), University of Winnipeg, 2018-20
- The Jeanne Perreault and Marcel Lemaire Bursary, (St. Paul’s College Dean’s Honour Roll 2015-16) 2016
- Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean’s Award, 2013
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship and Tri-council research award, 2013
- Cardinal McCarrick Peace Fellowship Scholarship Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice Studies, 2012
- Graduate travel award, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Graduate Studies, 2010, 2012
- Peace and Conflict Award, Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice Studies, 2011
- Graduate Research Award (Global Disarmament), Simons Foundation, BC and Department of Foreign Trade and Investment (DFAIT, Canada), 2011
- Best essay on social economy and aid, Accountable Development Works (ADW), Winnipeg, MB, 2010, 2011
PUBLICATIONS
Books:
- 2020 – Countering Radicalization to Violence: A Pedagogy Driven Multi-stakeholder Intervention Approach accepted for publication by the University of Toronto Press (possible publication in 2021)
- 2019 – The Rohingya Crisis: Analyses, Responses, and Peacebuilding Avenues, released on 15 January 2020, ISBN: 1498585744 (Lexington Books, Maryland, US), lead researcher.
- 2018 – Community-Focused Counter-Radicalization and Counter-Terrorism Projects: Experiences and Lessons Learned, ISBN-10: 1498557767, ISBN-13: 978-1498557764, (Lexington Books, Maryland, US), lead researcher.
- 2017 – Grassroots Approaches to Community-Based Peacebuilding Initiatives: Theory and Praxis on the Front Lines, Hardback: ISBN 978-1-4985-6206-5Oct, eBook: ISBN 978-1-4985-6207-2Oct. (Lexington Books, Maryland, US).
- 2010 – Conflict in Western Sahara and Quest for Peace, An Introspection of a Peacekeeper – A book published by Sottokotha Prokashoni (Banglabazar-Dhaka Bangladesh) 2010, ISBN 978-984-8876-02-2.
- 2010 – The Battle without Borders (La guerre sans frontier) – a book published by Osder publication, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 2010, ISBN 978-984-33-1830-5.
Book Chapters:
- 2020 – Ahmed, K. and Nahreen I. Khan. Are Forcibly Displaced Rohingyas a National Security Threat to Bangladesh? A Perspective, In Z. Rahman.(Ed.), the Rohingya in Bangladesh: Politics and Uncertainties. In press. Dhaka. Dhaka University Press.
- 2019 – Canada’s Cyber Security in A Globalized Environment: Challenges and Opportunities, in press, Global Handbook of Cybersecurity, Routledge. Editors, Scott N. Romaniuk and Mary Manjikian.
- 2018 – Canada’s Counter-Terrorism Measures: Implications for Human Security, Civil Society, and Charity, accepted for publication, (editors Scott Nicholas Romaniuk et al.). In Counter terrorism and civil society: Post 9/11 Progress and Challenges, Manchester University Press.
- 2018- Peacebuilding Projects as a Conflict Transformation Tool: A Meso-level Perspective from Winnipeg. In Conflict Transformation, Storytelling and Peace-building: Research from the Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, (editors Drs. Laura Reimer, Katerina Standish and Chuck Thiessen), Lexington books, USA. Hard cover, 978-1-4985-6417-5, 978-1-4985-6418-2, eBook.
- 2017 – Canada’s National Counterterrorism Strategy and Challenges of Community Based Intervention in Countering Radicalization: A Perspective. In The Palgrave Handbook of Global Counterterrorism Policy (editor Scott Nicholas Romaniuk et al.), eBook ISBN 978-1-137-55769-8, Terrorism and Political Violence, University of Leeds, UK.
- 2017 – Ne Mutlu Turkum Diyene: The Turkish Dilemma and the Rise of Terrorism. In The Palgrave Handbook of Global Counterterrorism Policy (editor Scott Nicholas Romaniuk et al.), eBook ISBN 978-1-137-55769-8, Terrorism and Political Violence, University of Leeds, UK.
- 2017 – Twenty Years of UN Peacekeeping Operations in Western Sahara: A Reflective Study. In Peace Issues in the 21st Century Global Context, (editors, Shreesh Juyal and John Duncan), Cambridge Scholars Publishing, UK. Hardback, ISBN-13: 978-1-4438-9884-3, ISBN-10: 1-4438-9884-8
Journal Articles and Policy Papers:
- 2016 – Radicalism Leading to Violent Extremism in Canada: A Multi-Level Analysis of Muslim Community and University Based Student Leaders’ Perceptions and Experiences, Journal for Deradicalization 6 (2016): 231-271.
- 2014 – Perceptions of Muslim Faith, Ethno-Cultural Community-based and Student Organizations in Countering Domestic Terrorism in Canada. TSAS (Canadian network for research on terrorism, security and society), working paper series, Volume 14, Issue 12.
- 2014 – A Tapestry of Hopes and Despairs of Northern Ireland Youth: Perceptions of the Civil Society Leaders on the Impacts of the EU Peace III Fund and the International Fund for Ireland on Youth Development. Global Journal of Peace Research and Praxis 1.1: 83-97. The University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
- 2013 – Twenty Years of Western Military Intervention: An Emerging Trend for International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding. Journal of Conflict Transformation and Security (JCTS), Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN) International. ISSN: 2045-1903, UK. Volume III, No II.
- 2013 – External Funding and the Promotion of Social Business for Community Development and Sustainable Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland. Ibadan Journal of Peace and Development. Volume 2, No 1, ISSN 2276-7267.
- 2013 – The Perceptions of Hope and Fears of Civil Society NGO Leaders in Northern Ireland: The Impact of the International Fund for Ireland and the European Union Peace III Funding. Humanity & Society, 37: 5-34, DOI: 10.1177/0160597612466815.
- 2012 – Meeting Rising Expectations of Hopes for Peace in Post Agreement Northern Ireland: The Role of the Good Friday Agreement and the Implications for External Economic Aid through the International Fund for Ireland and the European Union Peace III Fund. Treatises and Documents: Journal of Ethnic Studies. No. 69.
- 2012 – Northern Ireland’s Civil Society Leaders Perceptions on the Effectiveness of the IFI and the EU Peace III Fund in Promoting Equality, Equity and Social Justice and Ensuring People’s Basic Human Needs. Journal of Peace and Justice Studies. 22(2): 73-99.
- 2011 – Should nuclear capabilities remain an essential element of NATO’s defence strategy? 2010-2011 Graduate Research Awards Debates on Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation February 17, 2011. A joint programme of The Simons Foundation and the International Security Research and Outreach Programme (ISROP) of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), Lester B. Pearson Building Ottawa, Canada. (http://www.thesimonsfoundation.ca/resources/2010-2011-graduate-research-awards-disarmament-arms-control-and-non-proliferation) (Online publication).
- 2010 – Battle of Narratives – Why Al Qaeda Wins, A Near East South Asia centre for strategic studies (NESA), National Defense University, Washington D.C, white paper, volume 1, Number 5.
Co-authored Journal Papers and book chapter:
- 2017 – Wetland Sanctuary Co-management and Conflict: An Exploratory Study of the impacts of Baikka Beel Project in Bangladesh, IQAS – International Quarterly for Asian Studies, Volume 48, Autumn (3-4/2017).
- 2015 – Economic Assistance to Peace-building and Reconciliation Community-Based Projects in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties: Challenges, Opportunities and Evolution. International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society: 1-26.
- 2014 – Peace-building and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland: The Role of the Belfast Agreement and the Implication for External Economic 2014. Edited book titled “Lessons from the Northern Ireland Peace Process: An Introduction”. Timothy J. White (editor), University of Wisconsin Press.
- 2013 – The Role of External Economic Assistance in Nurturing Cross Community Contact and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties. 2013. Community Development Journal. 48 (4): 587-604.
- 2013 – Peace-building, Community Development, and Economic Assistance in Northern Ireland: The Impact of the International Fund for Ireland and the European Union Peace III Fund. Peace Studies Journal: Central New York Peace Studies Consortium, 6(2): 24-41.
- 2013 – The International Fund for Ireland and the European Union Peace III Fund: Economic Aid In Northern Ireland And The Border Area: Perceptions of How The International Fund For Ireland and The European Union Peace III Fund Impact Reconciliation and Peacebuilding. International Journal of Development and Conflict, 3(2013) 01–11.
- 2013 – Grassroots Peace-building in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties: Elements of an Effective Model. Peace and Conflict Studies.20 (1), 4-26.
- 2012 – Economic Aid and Conflict Transformation in Northern Ireland and the Border Area: Respondents Perceptions of Awareness, Fairness, Trust-building and Sustainability. Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies 19(1): 4-36.
- 2012 – Building Future Coexistence or Keeping People Apart: The Role of Economic Assistance in Northern Ireland. 2012. International Journal of Conflict Management 23.3 (2012): 248-265.
- 2012 – Perceptions about the Role of Foreign Aid in Nurturing an Atmosphere of Trust and Goodwill in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties. Journal of Human Security, 8 (2), (http://www.blogs.unbc.ca/jhs). EISSN: 1835-3800.
- 2012 – Sustainability of Peace-building Interventions: The Experience of Peace and Reconciliation Community Projects Supported by the EU Peace III Fund and the International Fund for Ireland. Peace Research: Canadian Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 12. 44 (1), 37-62.
CONFERENCE, SEMINAR, COLLOQUIUM PAPER PRESENTATIONS
- 2019 – Roundtable panelist: The Rohingya Refugees in Limbo: Repatriation and Resettlement, The Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID), 2019 Annual Congress of Humanities and Social Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, June 1-7, 2019.
- 2019 – Lecture on Rohingya Crisis and its Implications. Canadian Peace Research Association (CPRA), and Rohingya Refugees in Limbo: Repatriation and Resettlement, CASID Conference. 2019 Annual Congress of Humanities and Social Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, June 1-7, 2019.
- 2019 – Panelist, presenter, Rohingya Voices in the Camps and Beyond, a BRAC organized workshop titled “Reflection on Rohingya Crisis: Since and Beyond” Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- 2019 – Lecture on Rohingya Conflict and Global Local Peacebuilding Avenues, BRAC University, James P Grant School of Public Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- 2019 – Lecture on Rohingya Conflict and its Security Implications, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- 2019 –Human Rights, Canadian National Security and the War on Terror. British International Studies Association (BISA), 44th BISA annual conference, London, UK. June 13-16, 2019.
- 2018- MSSTA presentation on pedagogical intervention to counter radicalization in mainstream educational institutions in Manitoba, Canada.
- 2018 – Peacebuilding projects as conflict transformation tools: a meso level perspective from Winnipeg. Canadian Peace Research Association (CPRA), 2018 Annual Congress of Humanities and Social Science, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, May 29-June 1, 2018.
- 2018 – The Emerging Alt-Right Movement in Canada: A Perspective. A panel discussion on the Alt-Right Movement, March 15, 2018, organized by Etz Chayim, Winnipeg.
- 2018 – Is Keeping Peace Enough? A Perspective from Four Protracted UN Peacekeeping Operations. March 1, 2018, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Building and Keeping Peace: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue, Canadian International Council (CIC), Winnipeg chapter.
- 2018 – Post ISIS World Environment and Canadian Challenges: What Lies Ahead? 33rd annual J.W. Dafoe Political Studies Students’ Conference at the University of Manitoba. 24-26 January, 2018.
- 2017 – The Changing Landscape of Violent Extremism (VE) in Bangladesh: A View from the Mezzanine. 2. Mitteldeutscher Südasientag 22. / 23. Juni 2017 in Halle, Südasien-Seminar des Orientalischen Instituts, Ludwig-Wucherer-Straße 2, 06108 Halle (Saale), Institut für Indologie und Zentralasienwissenschaften, Schillerstraße 6, 04109 Leipzig.
- 2016 – Mobilizing Social Capital of Ethno-cultural Community based Organizations for Peace-Building in Winnipeg: Prospects and Problems. The Canadian Institute for Identities and Migration (CIIM) & Immigration Research West (IRW) Regional Symposium: Migration and Refuge in Western Canada. October 21-22, 2016, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
- 2016 – A Comparative Evaluation of Community-based Intervention Projects to Counter Radicalization with Special Emphasis on Canadian Initiatives. Confronting Terror in Canada and the United States: Domestic and International Dimensions, Colloquium Dates: February 24-26, 2016, Venue: University of Hawai`i at Mānoa.
- 2012 – Islamicism and Canadian National Security Discourse: How Faith and Community Based Organizations can be Effectively Mobilized for Resolution of Social Conflict? The Muslim Perspectives on Peacebuilding Conference, organized by Claremont Lincoln University, the University of Southern California’s Office of Religious Life, the Islamic Society of North America, and the Center for Global Peacebuilding at Claremont Lincoln University along with local host South Coast Interfaith Council. October 12-13, 2012. (Presented)
- 2012 – Twenty Years of UN Peacekeeping Operation to Resolve Western Sahara Conflict – What Lies Ahead? Presented in the Annual Congress of Humanities and Social Science -2012, (Canadian Peace Research Association-CPRA) Wilfred Laurier University-University of Waterloo, May 2012.
- 2012 – Military Intervention as an emerging norm and can CSDP provide an effective platform for future military coalition? 3rd Annual York European Union Centre of Excellence (EUCE) Graduate Student Conference, 2012, York University, Ontario.
- 2012 – Western Military Interventions – An Emerging Norm of International Conflict Resolution: Can Canadian Forces (CF) Transformation Be Able to Support Canada’s Leading Role in It? 10th CIPSS Annual Graduate Conference, on March 15th 2012, in Montreal.
- 2011 – The Case of Sudan, 6th Annual International Crisis Management Simulation, jointly organized by the Centre for international and defense policy, Universitat Mannheim, the Atlantic Council of Canada and the European Recovery Program, 25-30 June, 2011, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON.
- 2011 – Religion Based Extremism is A Threat to National Security of Canada: A Critical Study on Its Transnational Nature with Immigrant Linkage. Canadian Political Science Association, 83rd Annual Conference, June 16–18, 2011 Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario.
- 2011 – The growing trend of indigenization of terrorism in Canada and a quest for indigenous response. Centre for International Peace and Security Studies (CIPSS), University of McGill and University of Montreal, 9th Annual Graduate Conference held on April 15, 2011 in Montreal, ITHS.
- 2010 – The roles of faith based community organizations towards understanding of religious radicalization among groups with immigrant heritage and its peaceful reconciliation in Canada. Conference of Defense Associations Institute’s (CDA) 13th Annual Graduate Student Symposium, Canada’s Security Interests, held on 28 – 29 October 2010 Currie Hall, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario.
- 2010 – Role of Sahrawi Women in resolving Western Sahara Conflict. Presented in Peace and Justice Studies Association –PJSA, seminar held in University of Winnipeg from 30 September – 02 October 2010.
TEACHING AND ADVISING EXPERIENCE
- Adjunct Professor, University of Winnipeg, Manitoba 2020 till now
- TRI’s National Networks of Ph.D. Theses Writers: List of Canadian Ph.D. Theses in Progress and Completed (Prepared by Ryan Scrivens, Coordinator of the Canadian Network of Ph.D. Theses Writers of the Terrorism Research Initiative (TRI), http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/531/html
- Teaching assistant, graduate students, University of Development Alternative, (in collaboration with the Mennonite Central Committee, Dhaka, Bangladesh) and Dhaka University – 2007-2008
- Undergraduate students in Bangladesh military institutions 1997-2003
MEDIA INTERVIEWS
- Ryan Jespersen Show, Edmonton, 630 CHED, 2016, 2017 on extremism and community based intervention
- NTV and ATN Bangla in Bangladesh on Conflict and Resilience Research Institute, Canada (CRRIC) and its research agenda
The Conversation Publication
2020 (January) – Communities Can Combat Racism, Hate and Extremism with Education, published in The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/communities-can-combat-racism-hate-and-extremism-with-education-125124
Data Analytics
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
- A Public Safety, Canada sponsored Community Resilience Fund (CRF) project titled Countering radicalization to violence in Manitoba schools: A guide for practitioners and policymakers is going to be commenced from September 2020. Total project grant is CAD 280,000.
- A research project about Rohingya Crisis in Bangladesh-Myanmar is completed in 2019.
- A research project on Community-focused counter-radicalization and counter-terrorism projects was completed in 2018.
- A research project titled Perceptions of the Muslim faith and ethno-cultural community based organizations on terrorism and counter-terrorism in Manitoba was completed in 2014. Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society (TSAS) (tsas.ca) funded this project. Working paper is available at https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn31916-eng.pdf
EXPERTISE
- Qualitative and mixed method research
- Media and social media (Facebook and Tweeter) content analysis
- Strategic Communication (STRATCOM)
- Expert user of Nvivo 12 in analyzing qualitative data
- Social network analysis (Gephi)
- Non-violent crisis intervention (NVCI)
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
- Program Chair, CIC, Winnipeg Branch https://thecic.org/branches/winnipeg/
- Rotary Club of Winnipeg, peacebuilder committee, D 5550, https://www.worldpeacepartners.org/index.html
- Senate Member, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, https://www.theroyalwinnipegrifles.com/
- Member, Royal Military Institute of Manitoba (RMIM), https://www.rmim.ca/index.html
- Advisor, beyond Peace https://beyond-peace.com/
- Rotarian – Rotary club of Winnipeg
- Course Coordinator (Peace and security studies) Nov 2008
- Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Dhaka, Bangladesh 2007
CO-CHAIRED and PANEL MODERATOR
- 2019 – Canadian Peace Research Association (CPRA), 2019, annual congress Chair, UBC, British Columbia.
- 2017 – DHD International, a Winnipeg based company organized an international seminar on The Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting: When Hate and Radicalization Leads to Violence, on 26 April 2017.
- 2012 – University of Manitoba Political Studies Students Conference 2012, titled Twenty years of Western Military Intervention: Protecting Whose Right(s)? February 1st – February 3rd 2012, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- 2012 – Canadian Peace Research Association (CPRA), 30th Annual Congress of Humanities and Social Science -2012, Wilfred Laurier University- University of Waterloo, May-June 2012. Chair of a session.
CRRIC WEBINAR SERIES 2020
- 20 Webinars on COVID-19 and contemporary issues, www.crric.org
- A 4 part e-seminar on Rohingya-Banyamulenge Genocide in joint collaboration with Erasmus, Rotterdam University’s Institute of Social Studies