Ephraim Isaac facts for kids

Ephraim Isaac (born May 29, 1936) is a famous Ethiopian scholar. He is an expert on ancient Ethiopian languages and African history. He started the Institute of Semitic Studies and leads the Ethiopian Peace and Development Center from his home in Princeton, New Jersey.

Dr. Isaac was the first professor of Afro-American studies at the famous Harvard University. To honor him, Harvard gives a special award each year. It is called the Ephraim Isaac Prize for Excellence in African Languages. This prize goes to the student who writes the best essay about Africa.

Early Life and Education

Ephraim Isaac was born in a part of Ethiopia called Wallaga. His mother was an Ethiopian Jew and his father was a Yemeni Jew. He did not know his exact birthday, so in high school, he picked May 29th for his records. He completed his early schooling in Ethiopia before continuing his studies in other countries.

A Career in Teaching

Dr. Isaac became a professor at many top universities. In 1969, he was the very first professor hired for Harvard University's new Department of African and Afro-American Studies. He was a key person in building this new area of study and taught there until 1977.

He has also taught at many other schools, including:

• Princeton University
• Hebrew University in Israel
• University of Pennsylvania
• Howard University
• Lehigh University
• Bard College

Dr. Isaac taught many subjects, such as ancient languages, religious history, Ethiopian history, and the history of slavery. He received special fellowships to support his research from groups like the National Endowment for the Humanities.

At one point, Dr. Isaac had a major disagreement with Harvard University about his job. The university did not want to give him a permanent teaching position, called tenure. He took the case to court and won. Harvard then offered him a fellowship position to settle the matter.

Working for Peace

Isaac (seated with a hat) at a meeting with famous runner Haile Gebrselassie (second from right).

Dr. Isaac is well-known for his work as a peace activist. He has helped solve many serious conflicts.

Ending a Civil War

In 1989, Ethiopia was in the middle of a long and violent civil war. Dr. Isaac created a group of about twelve Ethiopian elders called the Ad Hoc Peace Committee. This group helped the government and its opponents talk to each other instead of fighting. Their work was a key reason the 30-year civil war ended in July 1991. The committee also helped organize a major conference in Addis Ababa to plan for a peaceful future. This led to the creation of a new government and the Parliament of Ethiopia.

Solving Other Conflicts

Dr. Isaac has been involved in many other peace efforts:

• Religious Disputes: In 1992, he helped settle a major argument between leaders of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
• Ethio-Eritrean War: From 1998 to 2000, he led a peace group that was welcomed by both Ethiopia and Eritrea during their war.
• Freeing Prisoners: He has negotiated the release of tens of thousands of prisoners over the years, including political leaders and journalists.
• Peace Treaties: In 2009, he worked behind the scenes to help the Ethiopian government make a peace treaty with a major rebel group.

Promoting Dialogue

Dr. Isaac believes in the power of talking and understanding. He helped start the National Literacy Campaign of Ethiopia, which taught millions of people to read in the 1960s. He has also been part of many groups that bring people of different faiths and cultures together. He has worked on peace dialogues in the Middle East, Africa, and even Ireland.

In 2021, a video was released that seemed to show Dr. Isaac in a meeting discussing a change in Ethiopia's government during the Tigray War. This caused a lot of debate, and he was temporarily not allowed to travel to Ethiopia.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Isaac has received many awards for his work in teaching and peacemaking. Here are a few of them:

• Knight of the Royal Order of the Polar Star, a high honor from the King of Sweden (2013)
• Morton Deutsch Conflict Resolution Prize from the American Psychological Association (2013)
• Honorary Doctorate degree from Addis Ababa University (2004)
• Peacemaker Award from the Tanenbaum Center for Inter-religious Understanding (2002)
• Honorary Doctorate degree from John Jay College, CUNY (1993)
• Emperor Haile Selassie National High School Matriculation Prize (1954)