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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 901–912 of 15412 results

Opinion

Unlocking youth voices on health and wellbeing: experiences from London

Young people’s voices are often left out from policy conversations about health and wellbeing. We might wrongly assume that young people are healthier, with lower burdens of chronic disease compared to average adults in London. However, young people are increasingly facing challenges to...

Yasmin Dosanjh & 5 others

5 December 2023

Opinion

Curbing environmental damage: taxation in Africa

How can environmental taxes increase the sustainability of economic growth in low-income countries? Environmental taxes can be defined as any tax imposed on a base with a proven negative impact on the environment – examples include import tariffs on plastic material, charges on traffic...

5 December 2023

News

Climate change and critical agrarian studies

IDS Researcher Ian Scoones has co-edited a new open access book titled Climate Change and Critical Agrarian Studies. It explores the effects of climate change and responses to it on the rural world, including contributions from scholars of critical agrarian studies from around the...

5 December 2023

Opinion

COP28: A cautious cheer for Brazil’s return

Brazil’s enthusiastic return to this year’s COP - the UN’s annual climate change conference - is welcome but we should interrogate the motivations of powerful players in the government’s broad-based coalition, including agribusiness. There is a danger that these players encourage the...

1 December 2023

News

Podcast: Intersections in education: disability, development, and gender

Accessibility should be a cornerstone of society whether you are in a working environment or studying at a School or University, but often this aspect is neglected, even in modern societies. Indeed, research at IDS led by Stephen Thompson and Mary Wickenden has looked at different areas...

30 November 2023

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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