Inspiring speaker, peace builder, cultural educator, entrepreneur and author, Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian who’s heartbreaking journey with conflict in his hometown of Jerusalem eventually led him to becoming a peacemaker. He is the co-founder of MEJDI Tours, the global leader in socially responsible travel with a mission to harness the power of travel to create a more peaceful world. His global conflict resolution work earned him the titles of National Geographic Explorer and TED Fellow. Published in The
New York Times, The Washington Post and National Geographic, Aziz continues at the forefront of reconciliation efforts in conflict zones.
In 2018, he courageously announced his candidacy for Mayor of Jerusalem. His book, Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide to World Peace, was published in 2020. Aziz was featured for his peace building work in the New York Times in March of 2022. He has served as Executive Director at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University and as a board member for the Parents Circle Families Forum representing the organization at international governmental organizations such as the European Parliament.
Aziz inspires audiences throughout the world—at international organizations, corporations and universities, including TED (his talk has over 1.5 million views), The United Nations, National Geographic, Nexus and the European Parliament. Aziz is the recipient of the Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East from the Institute of
International Education, the European Parliament’s Silver Rose Award, the Eisenhower Medallion and the Eliav-Sartawi Award for his Middle Eastern Journalism. He was named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the World each year from 2010-2021 by the Royal Strategic Centre in Jordan and won the Intercultural Innovation award from the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group. He was also recognized by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for his work in peace building.
