Guest Lecture at the American University of Beirut (AUB) 🇱🇧 — Exploring the Wounds: How Trauma Shapes Radicalized Identities

September 2025

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On September 12, 2025, Dr. Janja Mikulan delivered a guest lecture at one of the world’s most prestigious universities — the American University of Beirut (Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies, CAMES). 🌍✨

Her talk, titled “Exploring the Wounds: How Trauma Shapes Radicalized Identities,” presented comparative findings from her postdoctoral research project on the link between trauma and radicalization in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Lebanon, funded by ARIS. 🔬📊

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Dr. Mikulan emphasized that in both contexts, trauma is not merely a background factor, but a central and dynamic mechanism that shapes involvement in extremism, sustains violent engagement, and makes disengagement difficult. 💔🔥

Violent extremism, therefore, is not only an ideology or a political stance — it reflects wounded lives and communities searching for justice, dignity, and healing. 🌱🕊️

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The discussion highlighted the urgent need to understand trauma as a social and political force that shapes our communities and shared futures. 🤝💭

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Heartfelt thanks to Prof. Sari Hanafi (Director of CAMES), Dr. Aliya Saidi, and moderator Rima Rassi for their organization, support, and valuable contributions to the debate. 🙏💬
Despite long preparations and a challenging security environment, the event was an outstanding success! 🌟👏