Militarized Masculinities and the Legitimation of Violence

Despite the popularity of the “Canada-as-peacekeeper” image with the Canadian public, Canada’s military long had problems with it, feeling that it “emasculated” Canadian soldiers and therefore the country itself.

2021 Year in Review

To celebrate the new year, we reflect on the 28 analyses that we published in 2021. 

Gendered Security Harms in Nigeria’s Counterinsurgency Response

The overly simplistic understanding of gender in Nigeria’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), along with the government’s failure to prioritize human rights in its security policy, together result in “gendered security harms.”

Building Social Cohesion in South Sudan and Burundi

Social cohesion is best facilitated when bottom-up and top-down efforts—local, national, and international—are integrated and responsive to the relational nature of these societies.

Photography in War-Torn Communities as a Tool for Peace? A Project by Everyday Peace Indicators

Working in partnership with the Colombian Truth Commission (Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition), the Everyday Peace Indicators are seeking to support state-wide efforts to assess and improve Colombia’s implementation of peace processes.

Changing How We Understand and Prevent Identity-Based Violence: The Work of Protection Approaches

Protection Approaches wants to change the way the world thinks about identity-based violence and how we respond to and prevent it.

Interfaith Peace Movements as Counter-Movements to Radical Buddhist Nationalism

Although widely perceived to be weaker than and largely reactive to the Buddhist nationalist movements they oppose, interfaith peace movements “constitute important counter-voices” to these movements, finding creative ways to challenge their narratives and activities even within existing constraints.

Lessons Learned from the Law Enforcement Response to Far-Right Terrorism: Insights for a More Effective Approach

Although arrests and a proposed Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation worked in dismantling the Atomwaffen Division (AWD), the immediate rebranding of the group under a new name undermines the success of the law enforcement response.  

Brain and Behavioral Science-Informed Peacebuilding: The Work of Beyond Conflict

Innovation in peacebuilding has left brain and behavioral science largely unexplored. Beyond Conflict seeks to change that.

Push and Pull Factors in Disengagement from Islamic Extremist Organizations

No single factor explains why people withdraw from high-risk activism or political violence; disengagement typically happens because of growing disagreements over time as opposed to singular triggering events.

The Role of Group Identity in Initiating, Sustaining, and Disengaging from Participation in Violent Extremism

Although participation in violent extremism is often thought of as ideologically driven, it is better understood as driven by a need for identity and belonging.