Conflict and Violence

Our work provides a nuanced and realistic understanding of the relationship between violence, conflict, security and development. It aims to help policymakers, practitioners and citizens to develop policies and practices that strengthen people’s efforts to secure their own lives and livelihoods and improve the functioning of political institutions responsible for security and the management and prevention of conflict, and for the development of peace.

We examine the multiple layers and contexts in which violence manifests – from household to state and global level – and pinpoint the links and overlaps between these layers. This includes exploring the nature of, and responses to conflict and violence in rapidly expanding urban areas.  We have a done pioneering work on the dynamics of micro-level conflict, violence and development as well as on citizen action in violent contexts. Our research on gender, men and masculinities and gender-based violence has provided new insights on how to change attitudes, norms and behaviours for equality, peace and justice.

Another focal area is the dynamics of policy processes around conflict, violence and security examining the key framing and narratives. We explore non-traditional forms of security, especially linked to water, energy, food and health as well as post conflict and state building issues affecting service delivery and livelihoods, and are also developing new participatory approaches to peacebuilding. 

People

Patricia Justino

Professorial Fellow

Rebecca Mitchell

Postgraduate Researcher and Programme Manager

Gauthier Marchais

Research Fellow

Jeremy Allouche

Professorial Fellow

Jeremy Lind

Professorial Fellow

Juan Carlos Muñoz-Mora

Post Doctoral Researcher

Marinella Leone

Research Fellow

Robin Luckham

Emeritus Fellow

Programmes and centres

Recent work

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Showing 37–48 of 15283 results

Opinion

Making sense of the circular economy in an unequal world

The global transition towards the circular economy is often presented in an idealised and apolitical way, as the recirculation of matter and energy within a closed economic system that encompasses a homogeneous humanity and nature. This model promises resource and energy security, as well as a...

Emilio Bertrand Bunge Gonzalez, MA Development Studies, Class of 2024-25

16 April 2025

Opinion

Woman or Indigenous? How the UN human rights treaties simplify discrimination

The UN human rights treaties separate rights into categories, misrepresenting the reality of some cases of discrimination. There are cases where Indigenous people have sought justice for states violating their cultural rights through the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights...

Sofie Nielsen, MA Gender & Development, Class of 2024-25

16 April 2025

Opinion

What gets measured gets done: the change of metrics needed for our food system

Some of us live to eat, and most of us eat to live, but there are still two billion people who suffer from some form of hunger or malnutrition. Why do hunger and malnutrition persist even when the world produces enough calories for everyone? Why is the food system a victim to and a villain of...

Karan Shinghal, MSc Climate Change, Development and Policy, Class of 2024-25

16 April 2025

Opinion

Making spaces inclusive: what restroom signs reveal

I identify as a woman. So, when I read the sign below, I thought: this is wrong. And I was right. Obviously. The irony of this moment made me angry, and suddenly, restroom signs were things I couldn’t un-see. Everywhere I went, they followed me. Despite trying to ignore them, the rage grew and...

Riya Behl, MA Power, Participation & Social Change, Class of 2024-25

16 April 2025

Opinion

Bringing India’s skilling and education closer

Frequently, while proposing solutions for India’s vast skilling gap, we tend to miss the forest for the trees. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)- India’s largest skilling initiative is often chastised inter-alia for its deficient placements, compromised training lengths, and...

Ayush Punia, MA Poverty & Development, Class of 2024-25

16 April 2025

Brief

Rapid Scoping Review 2025: Argentina

Countering Rollback Country Brief

The rollback of women’s rights and of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and more (LGBT+) rights in Argentina has escalated since the election of President Javier Milei in 2023. The response to these rollbacks, however, has been limited, particularly considering Argentina’s history of mass...

16 April 2025

Opinion

Exploring our positionalities to navigate design choices

This is the second blog in our reflective series. In our first blog we introduced the Full Spectrum Coalition (FSC) evidence and learning group, the challenge it responds to and the need to move beyond the performative dance that gets in the way of meaningful evaluation design. Here, we reflect...

Marina Apgar
Marina Apgar & 2 others

16 April 2025

News

MEPCCC closing reflections: strategies for preserving heritage

On 25 February 2025, the University of Duhok hosted a conference titled ‘Preserving Cultural Heritage in Kurdistan - Iraq’. This event, organised in collaboration with the Institute of Development Studies, marked the end of the Middle East People’s Culture Conservation Collective (MEPCCC)...

15 April 2025

Opinion

The evil eye and the needle: preserving cultural heritage

Deq (Arabic: دەق) or xal (Kurdish: خاڵ) are the Arabic and Kurdish words for tattoo respectively. Traditional Deq (tattoo) or Xal has long been a part of cultural heritage in Kurdistan and Iraq, it is shared by multiple ethnic and religious groups in Kurdistan, such as Yazidis, Shabaks,...

Harzhin Mohammed Saadi (Student, University of University of Duhok)
Hussein Jameel Ahmed (Student, University of University of Duhok)

15 April 2025

Opinion

Ghana’s e-levy: 3 lessons from the abolished mobile money tax

The first budget speech of Ghana’s new government on 11 March painted a picture of an economy in crisis, facing high debt and fiscal mismanagement. The finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, acknowledged that key International Monetary Fund performance targets would be missed and announced...

Max Gallien
Max Gallien & 2 others

15 April 2025

Opinion

Anti-caste commitments in UK higher education: A call to action

Research on and in the Indian subcontinent has historically been embroiled in the same caste power dynamics of the environments that scholars attempt to study. Development, both as a practice and as a field of knowledge, including within UK Higher Education (HE), remains dominated by...

Aarti Rajput
Aarti Rajput & 3 others

14 April 2025

Why learn with us.

In an extraordinary time of challenge and change, we use more than 50 years of expertise to transform development approaches that create more equitable and sustainable futures. The work you do with us will help make progressive change towards universal development; to build and connect solidarities for collective action, locally and globally. The University of Sussex has been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the past five years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).

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