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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 73–84 of 15420 results

Student Opinion

Life after IDS: setting up a think tank in Sri Lanka

Yolani Fernando, MA Governance, Development & Public Policy, Class of 2022-23, is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Arutha, (Arutha on Instagram) a Colombo-based policy think tank focused on economic research and communication with a special interest in public debt and taxation. In this...

Yolani Fernando, MA Governance, Development & Public Policy Class of 2022-23

10 June 2025

Publication

Rapid evidence synthesis: Mpox community protection

SSHAP Evidence Synthesis

This note presents a rapid synthesis of evidence related to community protection in countries affected by the mpox clade 1b outbreak.

6 June 2025

News

IDS awarded funding to strengthen equity focused policymaking

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has been awarded four pioneering research projects funded through the British Academy. The funding is part of a programme that aims to enhance the use of evidence in policymaking for addressing critical global development...

6 June 2025

Opinion

Pathways to agricultural sustainability in Ghana

Farmers in Ghana are beginning to feel the consequences of decades of environmentally unsustainable practices such as soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and dwindling household resources, yet their national agricultural policy remains focused on short-term economic gains. A recent panel...

5 June 2025

Report

Meeting report: The impact of global aid funding cuts on people and programmes in South Sudan

SSHAP Roundtable Report

Low-income countries are reeling from the sudden and wide-ranging cuts to U.S. government foreign assistance, as well as from announcements that several European donor governments are also reducing their contributions. Among the worst affected is South Sudan, a country which is experiencing...

5 June 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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