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Professor Robert Lloyd Receives Academic Fellowship with Democracy Think Tank
Robert Lloyd, chair of the Seaver College International Studies program at Pepperdine University, has been announced as a 2009-10 Academic Fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), which aims to "bring together educated minds to explore the threat to democracy posed by terrorist organizations." Earlier this month, Lloyd traveled to Israel for a 10-day conference with the FDD. The conference used Israel as a case study of terrorism in a democracy.
Robert Lloyd at the West Bank
"The conference was intense, sobering, and informative," Lloyd says. "We had classroom lectures at Tel Aviv University and field trips to military, police, and prison facilities as well as areas of particular dispute such as the security fence and the West Bank."
Members of the FDD examined ideology of militant Islam in the Middle East, exploring Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the supporting role of Iran. The experience was eye-opening for Lloyd, whose scholarly research has included international conflict management and negotiation.
"I have a renewed appreciation for the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the challenges facing all parties — Palestine and Israel alike — in reaching an agreement to bring lasting peace to the region," he asserts.
The FDD maintains a number of security precautions for its members, but at times Lloyd was reminded how fragile the notion of safety can be in certain parts of the world. "When we were in the West Bank we traveled in an armored bus with armed security, underscoring the challenges of terrorism to security," he remembers.
He recalls the nerve-wracking experience of meeting with Fatah and Hamas terrorists in a high security prison. "Although security was provided during the interviews, it was nonetheless a new experience for me. But I very much appreciated the opportunity to talk to the terrorists and learn first-hand from their perspectives and experiences."
The aim of a terrorist organization is, usually, to weaken or sabotage democratic progress. Lloyd cites two key factors in combating terrorism: "International cooperation and holding states responsible for supporting terrorism," he says. "This is not an easy task, as seen in Pakistan, which simultaneously opposes terrorism but permits terrorists to operate on their soil."
As an Academic Fellow of the FDD for the next year, Lloyd will continue to work with the organization in the sharing of ideas about a problem that threatens the boundaries and strengths of democratic principles around the world. He also continues his role as director of the International Studies program at Seaver College, as well as maintaining his position as associate professor of international relations at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy.
Lloyd has been a consultant with Freedom House on issues of democratization, working on its Countries at the Crossroads project, and has published articles in academic journals on international conflict management and negotiation. Prior to Pepperdine, he worked for 10 years in a number of leadership positions for an international development nongovernmental organization (NGO).
He received his Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.; an M.R.P., in regional planning from Cornell University; and a BA, cum laude, from the University of Arizona.
