Peace & Security
We seek to understand atrocities and the politics of the use of force at all levels, from the local to the global. We investigate how to better anticipate, prevent and stop organized violence, and how outsiders might help rebuild order and peace. We work closely with practitioners in governments and international and civil society organizations, in Germany and beyond. We promote important debates and facilitate learning to improve policymaking and, ultimately, help save lives.
The Faint Red Line: How the West Should Respond to the Syria Chemical Weapons Report
Europe and the United States can no longer dismiss the strategic relevance of the Syrian military’s chemical weapons campaign, which has continued throughout the conflict. It demands further military, diplomatic and judicial action.
The German Foreign Office at 150: Time to Shake Things Up
If Germany wants a more strategic foreign policy, the Foreign Office needs to see extensive reforms. While investing in personnel, communications and IT are all key for bringing the ministry into the 21st century, there is also a need for a culture change.
Scenarios for Governance Breakdown and Violent Conflict in the EU’s Neighborhood
What will the EU’s neighborhood look like in 2024? Based on thought experiments about plausible future developments, these scenarios map out areas of potential governance breakdown and violent conflict and grapple with the threat they could pose.
A Fresh Look at Crisis Prevention? Reviewing Three Years of “PeaceLab”
How can Germany improve its policies on conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding? A look into the debate on peace and security in Germany during the PeaceLab2016 process.
Understanding the Syrian Chemical Weapons Complex
Based on the most comprehensive dataset of chemical attacks in Syria compiled to date, we have developed an interactive map and analysis that show the scale and pervasiveness of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict. The site allows users to explore more than 340 confirmed incidents, details our methodology, and offers access to the full dataset for further research and reporting.
Learn more about the project and visit the website.
Experts
Asena Baykal
Sarah Brockmeier
Inji El Bakry
Erica Gaston
Theresa Lütkefend
Alicja Polakiewicz
Tobias Schneider
Thorsten Benner
Sarah Bressan
Julia Friedrich
Melissa Li
Garima Mohan
Philipp Rotmann
Marie Wagner
Funding & Contact
Our current work on global peace and security is generously supported by the European Commission’s Horizon2020 research funding scheme, the Robert Bosch Foundation, the German Federal Foreign Office, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Jeyroudi Foundation. For previous projects, we received grants and support by the German Foundation for Peace Research, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation in cooperation with Compagnia di San Paolo and Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, the UN Secretariat’s Department for Peacekeeping Operations, the Friedrich Ebert and Heinrich Böll Foundations, as well as Humanity United.
For more information, please contact Philipp Rotmann.
PeaceLab: A Fresh Look at Crisis Prevention
On the PeaceLab blog, we discuss what a modern, comprehensive peace and security policy for Germany and Europe should look like.
Assessing Threats in Europe’s Neighborhood
EU-LISTCO investigates the challenges that governance breakdown and violent conflict pose for European foreign policy.
