Analyses

Religious Freedom and the Reduction of Religious Terrorism

Repressing religious freedoms is twice as likely to cause terrorism than a country’s high poverty rate or population size.

Contagious Nonviolence

Countries are more likely to experience the onset of nonviolent campaigns when there is a greater amount of mobilization globally.

The true cost of human life and why it matters

Using sunk costs to justify an ongoing war does not work—the U.S. public doesn’t support the ‘Don’t Let Them Die in Vain’ argument.

Poverty: A contributing factor to civil war?

A country ranked at the bottom 10% on a global poverty scale is six times more likely to see violent civil conflict than a country at the top 10%.

Are Alliances a Prerequisite for Multiparty War?

Alliances are a necessary condition for multiparty wars; the larger the war, the more likely alliances are a necessary condition.

Peace Journalism and Media Ethics

Audiences exposed to Peace Journalism have been found to demonstrate increased levels of hope and empathy, as well as decreased levels of fear and anger.

Examining Religious Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone

Religious actors can use their respected positions in society to assert neutrality to build personal relationships with, and influence parties in conflict.

Resources and Conflict: Reframing The Debate

In addition to the complex debate over natural resources’ role in violent conflict, there are many underlining sub-debates on the topic. One is centered on quantity: whether or not the abundance or scarcity of resources affects a particular outcome. This study summarizes the two arguments as follows: An increase in … Read more

Digging Deeper: Don’t Blame Your Resources, Blame The Environment

This article analyses the arguments linking resource scarcity to violent conflict. It is structured around the assumption that by focusing on the economic, political, and social conditions of a specific country, the relationship between resource scarcity and violent conflict could be better explained. The author argues that certain conditions in … Read more

Oil-Rich Dictatorships Will Not Be Overthrown by Armed Rebellions

This study explores two main arguments behind the Resource Curse: Violent domestic conflicts occur more frequently in oil-producing states than they do in non oil-producing states. Oil-producing states most commonly support autocratic regimes (characterized by long lasting regimes and low levels of democracy) than non oil-producing states. The study is … Read more

Fueling Conflict: The Link Between Oil and Foreign Military Intervention in Civil Wars

Nations are more likely to go to war with an oil-rich state when there is a lack of local competition.