Liesl Graz Fund
In memory of journalist and author Liesl Graz, the SGMOIK has established a fund to support the production and dissemination of journalistic contributions and science communication pieces on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Supporting journalism and research
Liesl Graz was a long-standing member of the SGMOIK and was closely involved in the founding of our society in 1990. Upon her death in April 2023, she left the SGMOIK a sum of CHF 10,000. In consultation with her descendants, the committee decided to use these funds in accordance with her wishes and in keeping with her commitment.
The fund supports two types of initiatives:
- journalistic articles focusing on the MENA region, produced by journalists with a connection to Switzerland;
- science communication articles aimed at a general audience, written by researchers receiving mentoring from journalists.
These initiatives form part of the SGMOIK’s science communication project. In accordance with Ms Graz’s wishes, particular attention will, where possible, be given to work focusing on regions where Turkish or Farsi is spoken.
The SGMOIK is committed to using these resources responsibly, in accordance with its mission and Liesl Graz’s wishes, and to paying particular attention to the safety of the journalists involved. A dedicated section on the Liesl Graz Fund is available on our blog to showcase articles produced with this support.
A Lifelong Connection to the MENA Region
Born in Germany in 1932, Liesl Graz left her native country during childhood and grew up in the United States. After completing her undergraduate studies at Wellesley College in Boston, she went on to study history at the Sorbonne in France.
Married and the mother of three sons born in the 1960s, she subsequently embarked on a prolific career in journalism. She contributed to numerous newspapers and magazines, including Réalités und Santé du Monde – the World Health Organization’s magazine –, Die Zeit (Hamburg), Le Journal de Genève, La Liberté, The Observer (London) oder Middle East International (Beirut). For many years, she was also the Swiss correspondent for the British weekly The Economist, for which she wrote numerous articles on the Middle East and North Africa.
It was at a conference in Bahrain in 1975 that Liesl Graz developed a deep interest in the region. She attended the conference in her capacity as communications officer for the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA). In the years that followed, Liesl Graz undertook several extended journeys as well as numerous shorter stays in the region. Her explorations took her from capitals to more remote areas, from Kurdistan to Sudan and from Yemen to Iran, with a particular fondness for the Sultanate of Oman.
Liesl Graz was the author of four books on the Arab-Persian region: L’Irak au présent (Les Trois Continents, 1979); Les Omanis, nouveaux gardiens du Golfe (Albin Michel, 1981) – published in English as The Omanis: Sentinels of the Gulf (Longman, 1982) –, Le Golfe des Turbulences (L’Harmattan, 1990) – ealso published in English as – The Turbulent Gulf (Tauris, 1990, revised edition in 1992) – and Mon dîner chez Saddam (L’Harmattan, 2005).
Alongside her work as a journalist and writer, Liesl Graz was involved in several professional associations related to her areas of interest. These included the Foreign Press Association in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as Reporters sans frontières (Reporters Without Borders).
Keeping her spirit alive
Through its support for journalism and the communication of scientific knowledge, the Liesl Graz Fund seeks to carry on her legacy: that of a journalist curious about the world, attentive to realities on the ground and committed to making the realities of the Middle East better known.
The SGMOIK expresses its profound gratitude to Liesl Graz and her family for this bequest, which today makes it possible to continue, in a different form, a commitment that was close to her heart.
Die bisher mit Unterstützung des Fonds publizierten journalistischen Texte
Palästinenser im Libanon – Ein Leben im Abseits
von Meret Michel
(basierend auf dem Buch «Beirut: Splitter einer Weltstadt»)
Erdoğans BRICS-Balanceakt
von Çiğdem Akyol
(veröffentlicht in Partnerschaft mit Zenith)
Réfugiés syriens au Liban : la triple impasse
von Emanuel Haddad
(veröffentlicht in Partnerschaft mit Le Courrier et Orient XXI)
Die bisher mit Unterstützung des Fonds publizierten Blogbeiträge
(Coming soon)