Harry Anastasiou

Harry Anastasiou serves as Member of the Board of the Future Worlds Center since 2002.

Biography

In June of 2002, Dr. Harry Anastasiou with his wife Theodora and two sons Anastis and Michaelangelo relocated from Larnaca, Cyprus to Portland, Oregon, USA. Dr. Anastasiou arrived in America as a Greek Cypriot peace scholar and practitioner to become a leading core faculty of Portland State University’s Conflict Resolution Graduate Program. Portland State University invited Dr. Anastasiou to join its graduate program after reviewing and evaluating his unique work as a pioneer in peace-building initiatives in Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and the European Union—a task in which Anastasiou has been engaged since the early 1990s. Anastasiou’s interest and commitment to peace have their roots in life-long experiences in Cyprus, his home country. Having experienced the ravages, suffering and dead ends of violent conflict, ranging from the civil and interethnic bloodshed of the 1960s to the coup d’état and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and to all the perils that followed, Anastasiou concluded that there must be more constructive ways of resolving differences than the ways of lethal conflict. This was the vision that motivated Anastasiou to becoming engaged over the years in practical peace-enhancing initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean and eventually obtaining his doctoral degree in International Peace and Conflict Studies.

Dr. Anastasiou’s peace building leadership in Cyprus has established the basis for the gradual emergence of a peace movement involving citizens, politicians and NGOs, that has since been recognized by the UN, the European Union, and international scholars, political leaders, and journalists. Although the Cyprus problem is still unresolved, the peace-building efforts that were initiated and developed since the 1990s have been a major catalyst in moving the process forward toward a possible comprehensive settlement. The work of Dr. Anastasiou has been at the center of these developments. Moreover while in Cyprus, Anastasiou was appointed as Executive Director of the Institute of World Affairs Office of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, representing and working with the Institute of World Affairs headquarters in Washington DC. Among other things, Dr. Anastasiou’s arrival at Portland State University marked the commencement of the Peace Initiatives Project focusing on Cyprus, Greece and Turkey and the opportunities for peace through the enlargement of the European Union to the Eastern Mediterranean. As a professor of International Peace and Conflict Studies, Dr. Anastasiou had launched the Peace Initiatives Project at Portland State University in continuation of his interest in, and contribution to, international peace-building activities. What is unique about his initiative at Portland State University was that as a scholar of Greek Cypriot background, Dr. Anastasiou undertook the formation and development of the Peace Initiatives Project in partnership with his colleague Dr. Birol Yesilada, a scholar of Turkish Cypriot background. This partnership was intended to demonstrate and embody the vision for peace that motivates and frames the Peace Initiatives Project. The commencement of the Peace Initiatives Project at Portland State University was formally announced in Cyprus on May 8th 2002 at the Fulbright Center inside the UN buffer zone of the then divided city of Nicosia. Those present included: The University’s Dean Dr. Marvin Kaiser; Mr. E. John Rumpakis (the first private benefactor of Anastasiou’s appointment and of the Peace Initiatives Project); Mr. Andy Banis, Supreme President of the Order of AHEPA together with his Delegation; the American Ambassador to Cyprus Donald Bandler; the Director of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission Daniel Hadjittofi; and leading Greek and Turkish Cypriots personalities involved in inter-ethnic peace-building initiatives.

Overall, the goals of the Peace Initiatives Project include: A program of study focusing on Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and the larger Eastern Mediterranean region; Academic research advancing current knowledge and practice in the area of peace-building activities in the region; Publications, seminars and media presentation on peace-related activities in Cyprus and the region; Opportunities for Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot, Greek and Turkish students to study together at Portland State University in the area of International Studies, Conflict Resolution and policy development; Organizing various activities in the USA enhancing the evolving rapprochement culture between Greeks and Turks; The expansion of the Peace Initiatives Project to Cyprus on a long term basis; International exchange and study opportunities for students, practitioners and scholars both in the USA and Cyprus.; and The establishment of a Peace Scholarship Fund for Greek and Turkish Cypriot students.

From the very outset the Peace Initiatives Project received written endorsements from several leaders and dignitaries including: His Excellency Mr. George Vassiliou, former President of the Republic of Cyprus; His Excellency Mr. George Papandreou, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Prime Minister of Greece; Mr. Donald Bandler, American Ambassador to Cyprus; Senator Mark Hatfield of Portland, Oregon; and Senator Gordon Smith of Portland, Oregon. Since his arrival at Portland State University, Dr. Anastasiou’s accomplishments in both the academic and practical domains of the rising field of Peace and Conflict Studies have been fully recognized not only by Portland State University, but also by internationally renowned scholars in the discipline.

After Portland State University and four external international experts in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies have reviewed and evaluated the work of Dr. Anastasiou in the areas of recognized peer reviewed publications, standard of teaching and continuous community service, they unanimously agreed to grant Dr. Anastasiou early tenure and promotion to full professor simultaneously—an action rarely taken. Since his appointment at Portland State University, Anastasiou has published two books, numerous book chapters, and several journal articles, alongside the top international scholars in his field. He has given over thirty presentations to professional bodies and international scholarly conventions in the USA, Canada and Europe, as well as an array of presentation to the broader community.

At Portland State University Anastasiou has been teaching eight different graduate courses per year, including an annual study abroad course in Cyprus. His work focuses on courses ranging from Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict, to the European Union as Peace Building System, to Cyprus and Greek-Turkish Relations, to International Peace and Conflict Studies, to the Ethics of Peace and International Conflict, to Conflict and Dialogue, to Conflict Peace and Globalization. The work of Dr. Anastasiou has been recognized by his inclusion since 2007 in the Recommended Speakers book of the World Affairs Councils of America, and since 2006 in Who’s Who in America. In 2009 he was rated by students as best professor of Portland State University among 1,120 listed professors. In 2011 he was appointed as academic advisor to the Rotary Peace Centers Committee of Rotary International for advising on academic developments in the field of peace studies and conflict resolution and for screening and selecting applicants for the prestigious Rotary Peace Fellows fellowship. Moreover, Dr. Anastasiou’s work has been recognized through the awarding of several grants and fellowships for his research and conflict resolution projects, amounting to several thousands of dollars. He has been invited as guest lecturer to speak at several universities in the USA, Canada, Northern Ireland, and at several organizations and centers focusing on international peace and conflict issues. Over the last several years Anastasiou has also been an invited speaker for The International Visitor Leadership Program, a U.S. Department of State professional development program fostering mutual understanding, involving participants nominated by U.S. Embassies overseas as current or emerging leaders in their fields. In addition, Dr. Anastasiou has been invited to speak on several local, national and international media including, The Voice on America, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and ABC Radio National and Radio Australia.

Every September, in the context of the Peace Initiatives Project, Dr. Anastasiou accompanies a class of PSU graduate students to Cyprus for a two-week course entitled “Cyprus in Transition.” Students have the opportunity to participate in activities and lectures including presentations by local educators, members of parliament, political leaders and peace builders on both side of the ethnic divide. Students also visit historical and cultural places of interest, particularly those relevant to the history of the Cyprus conflict and its current transformation. A number of students who have traveled to Cyprus have returned thereafter for extended periods of time to complete internships or conduct research for their thesis. For such work, Dr. Anastasiou has been placing students in appropriate Non-Governmental Organizations and educational institutions in Cyprus. Students who travel to Cyprus take relevant prerequisite courses at Portland State University. To earn their university credits while in Cyprus, students are expected to creatively engage in a dual task: conduct academic research on the peace building processes in Cyprus, and assist with practical peace-enhancing projects that the organizations in which they are placed are engaged with. Dr. Anastasiou’s study abroad course, including his creation of opportunities for student internships in Cyprus, has been generating rising student interest. Since its inception in 2005, over 200 students have traveled to Cyprus for study, research and peace-building work.

Throughout his work in Cyprus and at Portland State University, Anastasiou has organized, designed, and facilitated innumerable symposia and conflict-resolution workshops on Cyprus and related issues. Over two decades Anastasiou has been playing a leading role in the development and growth of a citizen-based peace movement in ethnically divided Cyprus and in Greek-Turkish relations. He has designed and facilitated innumerable interethnic conflict-resolution workshops, policy developing think tanks, dialogue groups, and an array of peace-enhancing projects and programs engaging Greek and Turkish Cypriot and Greek and Turkish citizens and policy leaders. He has worked on numerous collaborative initiatives with the Harvard-based World Peace Foundation, the Conflict Management Group, George Mason University, American University, the Washington-based Institute of World Affairs and the Institute of Multi-track Diplomacy, among others. He has also been an invited consultant to a number of NGOs. At Portland state University, he has hosted international dignitaries and diplomats from Greece and Cyprus, and has organized presentations for both university students and the general public.

As part of his community engagement, Anastasiou serves on several boards including the board of governors of the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, of which he is a founding member; editorial boards of academic journals; and advisory boards of Non-Governmental Organizations engaged in peace building and civil society development in both the USA and Cyprus. He is also a member of several professional organizations, including the International Studies Association (Peace Studies Section), and a member of civil organizations, such as the Rotary Club of Portland and the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), an organization integral to Dr. Anastasiou’s cultural and educational heritage.

Harry Anastasiou is a Professor and leading core faculty member of Portland State University's Conflict Resolution Graduate Program. Having obtained his doctoral degree in International Peace and Conflict Studies in 2001, Anastasiou was invited by Portland State University to join its graduate program after reviewing and evaluating his unique work as a pioneer in peace-building initiatives in Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, and the European Union.

Education

Anastasiou has a Ph.D. in International Peace and Conflict Studies, 2001, Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, USA; Doctorandus degree, Social Science and Philosophy 1982[1], Free University of Amsterdam, Holland; M.A., Sociology of Technology, 1979 University of Toronto, Canada; M.Phil. Philosophy of Science and Technology, 1977 Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto, Canada[2]; B.A., Political Science and Philosophy, 1975 Geneva College, Pennsylvania, USA.

World Pioneer in Peace Projects

Anastasiou’s interest and commitment to peace have their roots in life-long experiences in Cyprus, his home country. Having experienced the ravages, suffering and dead ends of violent conflict, ranging from the civil and interethnic bloodshed of the 1960s to the coup d’état and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus [[3]], and to all the perils that followed, Anastasiou concluded that there must be more constructive ways of resolving differences than the ways of lethal conflict. This was the vision that motivated Anastasiou to becoming engaged over the years in practical peace-enhancing initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean and eventually obtaining his doctoral degree in International Peace and Conflict Studies

Recognition

The work of Dr. Anastasiou has been recognized by his inclusion since 2007 in the Recommended Speakers book of the World Affairs Councils of America, and since 2006 in Who’s Who in America. In 2009 he was rated by students as best professor of Portland State University among 1,120 listed professors. In 2011 he was appointed as academic advisor to the Rotary Peace Centers Committee of Rotary International for advising on academic developments in the field of peace studies and conflict resolution and for screening and selecting applicants for the prestigious Rotary Peace Fellows fellowship. Moreover, Dr. Anastasiou’s work has been recognized through the awarding of several grants and fellowships for his research and conflict resolution projects, amounting to several thousands of dollars. He has been invited as guest lecturer to speak at several universities in the USA, Canada, Northern Ireland, and at several organizations and centers focusing on international peace and conflict issues. Over the last several years Anastasiou has also been an invited speaker for The International Visitor Leadership Program, a U.S. Department of State professional development program fostering mutual understanding, involving participants nominated by U.S. Embassies overseas as current or emerging leaders in their fields. In addition, Dr. Anastasiou has been invited to speak on several local, national and international media including, The Voice on America, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and ABC Radio National and Radio Australia.

Publications

Anastasiou, H. (2008). The Broken Olive Branch: Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and the Quest for Peace in Cyprus. Volume I: The Impasse of Ethnonationalism. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press.[4]

Anastasiou, H. (2009). The Broken Olive Branch: Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and the Quest for Peace in Cyprus. Volume II: Nationalism versus Europeanization. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press.[5]

Anastasiou, H. (with Benjamin J Broome, Maria Hadjipavlou, Bulent Kanol) (2011). “Opening Communication Pathways in Protracted Conflict: From Tragedy to Dialogue in Cyprus,” in Communication Activism, Volume 3, Edited by Lawrence Frey & Kevin Carragee Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press. [6]

Chapters:

Anastasiou, H. (with Benjamin J Broome) (2011). “Communication and Dialogue Across the Divide in the Cyprus Conflict.” In Dan Landis & Rosita Albert (Eds.) Handbook of Ethnocultural Conflict: Comparative Perspectives on Context and Consequences. Springer Publishing Co.[7]

Anastasiou, H. (with Broome, B. J) (2010). “Nationalism.” In Ronald L. Jackson II (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Identity. Volumes I & II. Sage. [8]

Anastasiou, H. (2010). “Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία: Ανάμεσα στα εθνικιστικά αδιέξοδα και το μετά-εθνικό κράτος” (The Republic of Cyprus: Between Nationalist Impasse and Interethnic Democracy). In Chrysostomos Pericleous (Ed.) Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία 50 χρόνια. Επώδυνη πορεία (The Republic of Cyprus 50 Years: Painful Path). Athens: Papazisis Press. [9]

Anastasiou, H. (2008). “Encountering Nationalism: The Contribution of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.” In Dennis J. D. Sandole, Sean Byrne, Ingrid Sandole-Staroste, Jessica Senehi (Eds.) Handbook of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. New York: Routledge.[10][11]

Anastasiou, H. (2007). “Securing Human Rights Through War and Peace: From Paradox to Opportunity.” In Gail M. Presbey (Ed.) Philosophical Perspectives on the War on Terrorism. The Philosophy of Peace series. Amsterdam: Rodopi Press.[12]

Articles

Anastasiou, H (with Yesilada, B., Webster, C., Peristianis, N.) (2010). “World Values Survey in Cyprus 2006: A Brief Overview,” Cyprus Review, 22(1), 153-167. [13]

Anastasiou, H. (2009). “Conflict Transformation in Greek-Turkish Relations: Between Belligerent Nationalism and Conciliatory Europeanization,” Peace Studies Journal, 2(1), 15-38.[14]

Anastasiou, H. (2009). “Cyprus as the EU Anomaly,” Global Society: Journal of Interdisciplinary International Relations, 23(2), 129 – 151.[15]

Anastasiou, H. (2008). “The EU as a Peace Building System: Deconstructing Nationalism in an Era of Globalization,” The International Journal of Peace Studies. 12(2), 31-50. [16]

Anastasiou, H. (2007). “Nationalism as a Deterrent to Peace and Inter-Ethnic Democracy: The Failure of Nationalist Leadership From the Hague Talks to the Cyprus Referendum,” International Studies Perspectives, 8(2), 190-205. [17]

Anastasiou, H. (2007). “The Communication Imperative in an Era of Globalization: Beyond Conflict-Conditioned Communication,” Global Media Journal: Mediterranean Edition, 2(1), 63-75. [18]

Anastasiou, H. (2002). “Communication Across Conflict Lines,” Journal of Peace Research, 39(5) 581-596. [19]

Anastasiou, H. (2000). “Negotiating the Solution to the Cyprus Problem: From Impasse to Post-Helsinki Hope,” Cyprus Review, 12(1), 11-33.[20]

Anastasiou, H. (1996). “Conflict, Alienation and the Hope of Peace: The Struggle for Peace in Militarized Cyprus,” Cyprus Review, 8, 79-96. [21]