The world today is replete with violent, destabilizing conflicts at a level unseen since World War II. Yet, the international global order that was established out of the ashes of war has dramatically failed to address conflicts that are causing massive human rights violations. The United Nations Security Council, in particular, has become a paralyzed institution beholden to the dominant powers’ national interests, unable to act effectively and in a timely fashion to ensure “the maintenance of international peace and security” as enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Since many violent conflicts do not have an overarching implication sufficient enough to entice major powers to intervene, there is often far less urgency to address such conflicts, and in fact major powers often contribute to their prolongation in order to further their own political, economic, or other interests. Sadly, this leads to a corresponding lack of coverage by the media which in turn causes a lack of awareness among the general population about such gross human rights violations and abuses around the world.
Out of this, the Institute for Humanitarian Conflict Resolution (IHCR) will work first and foremost to raise critical public awareness regarding violent conflicts large and small sweeping across large parts of the globe. The humanitarian dimension of conflict must receive paramount attention; to that end, IHCR aims to advance peaceful resolutions to these intractable violent conflicts and end the multitude of unacceptable losses, destruction, and despair being inflicted indiscriminately on already-beleaguered populations. This is anchored in the belief that no conflict can be resolved by military means unless the outcome is mutually beneficial and sustainable.
In order to achieve these goals, the Institute for Humanitarian Conflict Resolution will enlist the expertise of individuals and think tanks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the subject conflict based on unmitigated facts on the ground, conduct seminars, sponsor conferences and forums to raise public awareness of the human costs of these conflicts, engage in public advocacy with top officials to engender political support for pushing equitable resolutions, and pursue Track-II (or backchannel) diplomacy with key political stakeholders.
The Institute for Humanitarian Conflict Resolution embraces a philosophy of peace and reconciliation to ensure that men, women, and especially children in many violent conflict-ridden countries have hope for a better and more promising future. We have no pretense that we can resolve all conflicts, but if we contribute to saving the life of only one child, as the Talmud, Bible, and Quran teaches us, it is as though we have saved the whole world.
The moral imperative to right the wrong is a universal one, and together with like-minded and dedicated people we can advance the cause of humanitarian conflict resolution and alleviate the suffering of those who are helpless to do so on their own.
The Institute is on Facebook at IHCR.Institute, and Threads at @ihcr.institute.
Dr. Alon Ben Meir is a retired professor of International Relations, formerly at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs and Senior Fellow at the World Policy Institute. Ben-Meir is an expert on Middle East and West Balkan affairs, international negotiations, and conflict resolution. In the past two decades, Ben-Meir has been directly involved in various backchannel negotiations involving Israel and its neighboring countries and Turkey.
Ben-Meir is featured on a variety of television networks and also regularly briefs at the U.S. State Department for the International Visitors Program. He writes a weekly article that is syndicated globally.
Dr. Ben-Meir has authored twelve books related to Middle East and is currently working on two new books about Syria and Turkey. Ben-Meir holds a master’s degree in philosophy and a doctorate in international relations from Oxford University.
Ben-Meir is on Facebook at @ABenMeir, and Twitter at @AlonBenMeir.
Dr. Sam Ben-Meir is a philosopher and educator whose work focuses on political philosophy, ethics, and contemporary political issues, serving as an assistant adjunct professor of philosophy at the City University of New York, College of Technology. His focus as Senior Fellow is on political philosophy. Dr. Sam Ben-Meir received his Ph.D. in philosophy from The New School in 2014.
Dr. Sam Ben-Meir’s website can be found here: https://www.samben-meir.com/.
Kim Hurley has been the Communications and Development Director for Dr. Ben-Meir since 2012. She received her Master’s in International Affairs from The New School in 2011, concentrating in Media and Culture. Previously, Kim has done work on youth media and advocacy, and continues to focus on these topics as well as women’s and children’s rights and the role of art in conflict resolution, and is heavily involved in the arts in New York City.
Arbana Xharra is an internationally recognized investigative journalist and leading expert on religious radicalization, with a focus on Islamist extremism and Turkey’s political Islam agenda in the Balkans and the European Union. Since 2012, her reports have exposed extremist networks operating in Southeastern Europe, earning her recognition in major international media outlets and academic journals, including SAIS – Johns Hopkins.
She currently serves as an investigative journalist at the Alon Ben-Meir Institute, where she continues her in-depth research and reporting on authoritarian influence, religious extremism, and regional instability.
In 2015, Xharra was honored with the International Women of Courage Award by the U.S. State Department for her courageous reporting. Her work has also been featured across global television networks, where she is often called upon to provide expert commentary on religious freedom and human rights.
After surviving a brutal attack in Kosovo in 2017 in retaliation for her investigations, Arbana was granted asylum in the United States. From exile, she continues her mission, writing, advocating, and developing communication strategies for U.S.-based think tanks and human rights organizations. Her voice remains a powerful force for truth, transparency, and the empowerment of women in conflict and post-conflict regions.