The US Institute of Peace (USIP) and Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC) is holding a meeting on May 18-19, 2017 in Washington, DC. The meeting is being held in coordination with the United States Institute of Peace and The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the University of Chicago.
You are invited to submit a paper addressing this year’s theme.
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Theme: Addressing Persistent Conflict
Most of today’s worst intrastate conflicts have been going on for many years, with some dating back decades. These persistent conflicts mire some of the most underdeveloped countries in misery and create significant costs well beyond their own borders. While the conflicts can seem static, they exist in a changing world. Shifting regional and international interests can intensify conflicts, as in Syria, or create new opportunities for settlement, as in Northern Ireland. Climate change, scarce resources, and historic levels of displacement can exacerbate existing grievances and stressors. Evolving technologies transform how movements connect and spread, permitting especially virulent violent extremist groups to go global, but also opening up new opportunities for civil society activists to pressure both governments and rebel groups.
For practitioners and scholars working on these persistent conflicts, it is important to understand each conflict’s history, evaluate past interventions, and assess the potential for new approaches. ESOC, The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the University of Chicago, and the United States Institute of Peace invite paper submissions on a broad range of questions relevant to persistent conflict. Why do some conflicts persist for a decade or more? What interventions can strengthen institutions and promote a sound social contract? Is the international community often addressing short-run needs at the expense of long-run effects? What increases community security? Can we encourage reconciliation while also pursuing justice? How inclusive should a peace process be? Are there inherent and measurable tradeoffs between procedural democracy and the constitutional structures that can encourage durable peace? How can new information communication and sensing technologies be used to support peace and counter their use for violent mobilization? Where will food scarcity, water shortages, or land degradation create or exacerbate conflict, and where will they shift existing fault lines? Why are certain people displaced, and when should they return, if ever? What’s the next crisis that might surprise policymakers?
Submission Procedures:
Please submit the following via e-mail to Katherine Levy, levyk@ucsd.edu:
* Paper title and author information
* Abstract (approximately 500 words)
* One sentence describing how your paper fits into this year’s theme
* Presenter’s CV
Deadline: The deadline for submission is Tuesday, January 17, 2017.
For more information about ESOC, please visit http://esoc.princeton.edu