2022

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Essay ‘Un-Contest’ on Peaceful Elections

The War Prevention Initiative (WPI) is seeking submissions for an essay “un-contest” on peaceful elections.

Perspectives on Feminist Foreign Policy: Revealing New Narratives, Challenging The Status Quo

Read our summary report of our feminist foreign policy essay “un-contest” where we published 11 essays from emerging thought leaders around the world.

Gaza and Israel: A Violent Year and the Urgent Need to Stop the Killing

Introduction  We mark a somber milestone: one year has passed since the onset of the relentless violence in Gaza, leading to unimaginable death and suffering. We are thinking about all Israelis and Palestinians whose lives and communities were shattered by the events of last year. A ceasefire is about saving lives; every minute that passes … Read more

Photo credit: UN Women via Flickr

Local Capacities for Preventing and Rejecting Violent Conflict

The very existence of peaceful societies demonstrates that communities have options and agency even in the broader context of wartime violence.

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.

Photo credit: Wollwerth/ Adobe Stock

Familiarity as a Means of Protecting the Community Against Atrocity Crimes

In the context of violence in South Sudan, civilians leveraged relationships to overcome protection gaps left by external actors.

Photo credit: Terver/ Adobe Stock

The Role of Community Gender Norms and Relations in Both Mobilizing and Preventing Violence in Jos, Nigeria

Different norms of masculinity, and the broader community’s cultivation of these, as well as women’s roles in encouraging or mitigating violence, significantly influence whether a community will mobilize for violence or resist participation in violence amidst communal conflict.

Photo credit: Katie/ Adobe Stock

Beyond Victims or Peacebuilders: Women’s Participation in Security in Mathare, Kenya

When women’s contributions are overlooked due to an overwhelming focus on men’s security activities, “gendered political participation, social relations and socio-economic inequalities” are also overlooked as key components of security.

Photo credit: Soupstock/ Adobe Stock

A Trauma-Informed Healing Approach to Urban Gun Violence

A public health-informed approach acknowledging racial trauma and emphasizing individual healing is a promising way to address urban gun violence.

Photo credit: Matthieu/Adobe Stock

Colombia in Focus: Informing Practice

Contrary to mainstream thinking, armed actors are sensitive to more than just the threat or use of violence against them. When contemplating ways to protect civilians in the context of armed conflict, both local communities and external organizations can leverage multiple nonviolent forms of influence in their interactions with armed actors.

Photo credit: Matthieu/Adobe Stock

Colombia in Focus: The ICRC’s Support for Communities’ Self-Protection Efforts in Colombia

Communities and the ICRC have complementary protection capacities, with each “open[ing] up opportunities for dialogue with armed groups” in different ways.

Photo credit: Juan David

Colombia in Focus: Explaining Armed Actors’ Compliance with Civilian Demands in Colombian Peace Territories

Armed actors depend on the cooperation of civilians in order to reach their objectives and therefore cannot achieve everything they wish to through violence alone.

Cover image of the Peace Science Digest Special Issue

Special Issue: Nonviolent Approaches to Security

Click here to download the PDF version of the Special Issue Dear Readers, We are pleased to present our special issue on nonviolent approaches to security in collaboration with Nonviolent Peaceforce. This issue focuses on nonviolent, civilian-led strategies for protection and violence prevention in various violent contexts, ranging from civil … Read more