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 85–96 of 15287 results

Publication

Zakat Payments in Pakistan Exceed State Social Protection

ICTD Factsheet

Every year, hundreds of millions of Muslims across the world pay a proportion of their wealth as zakat, one of the five pillars of Islam mandating an annual payment of a proportion of an individual’s productive wealth, broadly representing 2.5 per cent. Consequently, zakat represents a...

Max Gallien
Max Gallien & 2 others

26 March 2025

Journal Article

Furthering a feminist fiscal agenda: Engendering tax and development

Development Policy Review 43

Taxation has received increasing attention from researchers and in the context of development policy, though less attention has been paid to the gendered impacts of taxation, particularly in lower-income countries. Purpose We seek to understand how taxation affects men and women differently...

Anuradha Joshi
Anuradha Joshi & 2 others

26 March 2025

Brief

Tax and Gender: Why Informality Matters

ICTD Policy Brief 16

Recent policy debates have increasingly focused on the gendered impacts of taxation, yet much of this work is rooted in high-income contexts, overlooking the realities of low- and middle-income countries where most individuals, particularly women, work in the informal sector. This policy...

Max Gallien
Max Gallien & 3 others

26 March 2025

Brief

Designing Social Assistance Programmes for Displaced People

BASIC Research Policy Briefing 6

Social assistance programmes for displaced people are likely to be more effective if they take the circumstances and preferences of displaced people into account, yet very few do. Most research tends to focus on those who deliver assistance rather than those who receive it. This Policy Briefing...

26 March 2025

Opinion

Rethinking humanitarian diplomacy

Two hundred children were killed by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in just 72 hours last week, while all life-saving aid supplies, and water has been cut off. Progress on a ceasefire in Ukraine is hitting obstacles and South Sudan's fragile peace is teetering on the brink of collapse. US bombs are...

24 March 2025

Opinion

How aid cuts will shatter global water and sanitation progress

The principle of leaving no one behind is central to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The progress toward achieving SDG 6, which aims to ensure universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030 is increasingly under threat with recent development funding cuts posing a...

24 March 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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