Demilitarizing Security

Navigating the War on Gaza

The surge in violence in Israel and Palestine has deeply unsettled and horrified us. In moments of acute crisis, it is difficult to meaningfully respond in a way that rejects a militarized approach and affirms the dignity and humanity of those most affected by violence.

Photo credit: Free Nature Stock

Selected Essays Announced in Feminist Foreign Policy Essay “Un-Contest”

The War Prevention Initiative is pleased to announce 11 essays on feminist foreign policy selected for publication.

A Tribute to Johan Galtung 

We are saddened by the news of Johan Galtung’s passing. As “a founding father of peace studies,” Galtung has made unparalleled contributions to peace and conflict research and has left an unforgettable mark on generations of scholars and practitioners.

Local Peace Agreements as a Means to Dissolving Armed Conflict

Armed conflict and peacemaking are best understood not in terms of a hierarchical relationship between local and national levels but instead as a “mesh” of different “conflictscapes.”

photo credit: Wikipedia

Facts Change Americans’ Beliefs About the Actual Risks of Terrorism 

Facts about the risk of terrorism, especially in the context of other risks factors, can mitigate Americans’ fears of terrorism and bring them into closer alignment with reality.

U.N.

An African Obedient Rebellion to the Global Nuclear Order

The African nuclear weapon-free zone, as a form of “obedient rebellion”, is central to challenging the global nuclear order.

Building Peace in Cyberspace

By examining cybersecurity through the lens of peace and conflict studies, we can shift the discourse on cyberwar to a focus on cyberpeace.

Police Fragmentation Increases Risk of Conflict Recurrence and Human Rights Abuses in Post-Conflict Countries  

Police fragmentation results in a higher risk of conflict recurrence and “greater discretion in the use of violence…against the civilian population” in post-conflict countries.  

Photo credit: Nonviolent Peaceforce

Thinking About “Safety” and “Security”

Due to a broader context of militarism, “security” has become closely associated with military and/or armed approaches to defense and protection.