Editorial Letter, Alliance for Peacebuilding
The Future of Peace/Peace Science Digest special issue Editorial letter Editorial Letter, Alliance for Peacebuilding Liz Hume and Peter J. Quaranto, Alliance for Peacebuilding Dear Readers, The peacebuilding field is at a crossroads in the United States and beyond. The field has been devastated by sweeping, sudden cuts to overseas … Read more
AI’s Impact on Democracy, Surveillance, and Warfare
With the massive push toward an artificial intelligence (AI)-centric future, we explore the implications of AI on important areas of peace research, particularly related to AI’s effects on democracy, mass surveillance, and warfare. In our informing practice section, we note that the documented harms and potential opportunities of AI are not equally balanced. Rather, AI poses far greater harm to peace—especially for marginalized and racialized communities—than it helps to create a more peaceful and just future, … Read more
Resisting for Democracy
Against the backdrop of a failing war with Iran and fast-approaching U.S. midterm elections, with Trump’s approval ratings falling into record lows, we look at how democracy requires active civic participation to survive. We explore the variables that contribute to the erosion of democracy and the rise of political violence, … Read more
This Moment of Militarism
Despite running on a campaign platform of “no new wars,” the Trump administration has recently begun a war in Iran and requested a Pentagon budget of $1.5 trillion—about a 50% increase over the current Pentagon budget of almost $1 trillion—to support its deeply unpopular war(-crime) efforts. In our attempts to meet the moment, we looked at what the latest research has to say about the sources, dynamics, costs, and repercussions of militarism both within the U.S. and beyond. In our … Read more
WPI Statement on Threats of Genocide Against Iran, Announcement of Ceasefire
The War Prevention Initiative is cautiously optimistic about the announcement of a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, brokered by Pakistan. Repeatedly, diplomacy and peacebuilding prove to be the most effective and strategic approach to resolving violent conflict. More work must be done to reverse escalating militarism and walk the world away from the already disastrous war. The announcement of a ceasefire does not forgive President Trump’s monstrous threats of genocide … Read more
We Grieve, and Remain Steadfast in our Opposition to Militarism
We grieve the murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Their deaths are well-documented evidence of the cruelty of this political moment. In the first few weeks of 2026, several others have died directly or following arrest, detention, deportation, or imprisonment: Keith Porter, Parady La, Heber Sanchez Domínguez, Victor Manuel … Read more
Transforming Peace and Security through Nonviolence and Feminism
In our first round-up of 2026, we’re reflecting on the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda and bringing this agenda into conversation with unarmed civilian protection (UCP). WPS was a massive achievement of the transnational feminist movement to advocate for women’s voice and agency in peace and security—but its … Read more
War Prevention Statement on Venezuela
For Immediate Release: January 7, 2026 PORTLAND, OR – The War Prevention Initiative condemns the U.S. military attack on Venezuela and the violent abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores. This was a criminal act of war against a sovereign nation that violates U.S. and international law, threatens the lives of everyday people around … Read more
Race and Racism within the Peace and Security Sector
As we reflect on the genocidal violence enacted on Palestinians in Gaza over the past two years, and now the Pentagon’s heinous bombing campaign against Venezuelan boatmen, it becomes evident that racism plays a central role in enabling such military violence. This month’s round-up examines race and racism within the … Read more
Environmental Peacebuilding and Climate Security
In conjunction with New York Climate Week, the focus for this month’s round-up is environmental peacebuilding and climate security. When one considers the scale of violence, harm, and exploitation embedded in the systems that have produced climate change and the very real damage that climate change is already inflicting on … Read more
Borders and Migration
The current Trump administration recently signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law, the contents of which included an additional budget of $170.7 billion to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (inclusive of its sub-agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] and Customs and Border Protection [CBP]) to tackle the “immigration … Read more
