Blaming and Targeting Refugees in the Wake of Terrorist Attacks
Prevalent governmental violence against refugees is 47% more likely in the wake of a terrorist attack, and it is probable that this violence is a form of scapegoating against refugee communities rather than a direct means to greater security.
Special Issue: Refugees & Migrants
Considering the plight of migrants (258 million globally) and especially refugees (26 million globally) is impossible to do without also considering war and human security. On the most obvious level, one of the many enormous costs of war is the massive human displacement it causes as people try to protect themselves by leaving the war zone.
Fomenting Instability – Exploratory Case Study on the Role of AFRICOM in Niger
To add to the understanding of the role of U.S. bases and military actions abroad, we initiated a case study of Niger where we examine the role of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Radio Interview: Iran Peace Approach
“There is no reason to go to war with Iran. One of the problems we have with the narrative is that even those who are pro diplomacy supporters still do that in a paradigm of the good ‘us’ versus the bad ‘them’…. We need to get beyond that narrative and figure out how to improve … Read more
How Feelings Make Military Checkpoints Even More Dangerous for Civilians in Iraq
An average of one Iraqi civilian was killed at a coalition checkpoint each day between 2006 and 2007.
Resisting Exclusionary Nationalism During the Bosnian War
The city of Tuzla was able to resist exclusionary nationalist forces during the Bosnian War due to its identity formation from 1878 to 1990 as a “multi-ethnic working class society with strong anti-fascist, anti-nationalist ideals.”
The Unintended Consequences of UN Peacekeeping’s Use of Security Contractors
The UN’s heavy reliance on security contractors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) results in more money for institutions and groups that are perceived as corrupt and/or sources of insecurity for many Congolese people.
“Uncivil” Society Organizations in Bougainville and Timor-Leste: Subverting Transitional Justice in Post-Conflict Settings
In Bougainville and Timor-Leste, uncivil society groups were composed of ex-combatants and/or marginalized communities who felt that they were excluded from the peace and reconciliation process.
Traditional Governance and the Maintenance of Peace in Sub-Saharan Africa
Traditional governance, including local chiefs, kings, or conflict resolution mechanisms, can play a powerful role in maintaining peace if it is integrated with the public administration of the state (a scenario called “institutional hybridity”).
Volume 4, Issue 3
In this issue, we examine a set of articles with a great deal of regional diversity — two articles focus on peacebuilding or peacekeeping in Africa, one looks at resistance to exclusionary nationalism in Bosnia (Europe), another explores “uncivil society” in Bougainville and Timor-Leste (Asia-Pacific), and, finally, one considers military checkpoints in Iraq (Middle East). These articles heighten our awareness of the complexities and challenges involved in peacebuilding after war. All the more reason to avoid war in the first place.
War Prevention Initiative: “Violent hate speech gives rise to conditions for violence at home and war abroad”
PORTLAND, OR – The War Prevention Initiative (WPI) condemns the vicious and racist attacks by U.S. President Donald J. Trump on U.S. Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
