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.
Ghosts of the Past: Lessons from Local Force Mobilization in Afghanistan and Prospects for the Future
Since 2001, the Afghan state and its international partners have mobilized a range of local forces to fill security gaps and confront insurgent threats. What has been the record of these efforts? And how may they impact future dynamics in Afghanistan?
New Expectations: Generation Z and Changing Attitudes on German Foreign Policy
New data shows: fewer German voters favor restraint in foreign policy than ever before. In particular, younger Germans expect their country to take on “more international responsibility.” What does this mean for German foreign policy?
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.
Militias or Partners? Local, Hybrid and Sub-State Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq
Community or regional forces, militias, and other forms of sub-state or local security actors have long existed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and continue to proliferate. Recently, local, hybrid and sub-state forces have often proved to be a critical stopgap against anti-government forces in both countries. But how do these security gains balance against other potential side effects for governance, rule of law, or civilian protection? How do repeated cycles of militarizing local spaces affect local community dynamics and prospects for a sustainable peace?
Select Projects
The Scale and Logic of Chemical Weapons Use in Syria
Based on the most comprehensive dataset of confirmed chemical weapons attacks in Syria compiled to date, we investigate the scale, pervasiveness and strategic logic that underpins the use of these banned weapons in the Syrian conflict.
PrEval: Evaluation Designs for the Prevention of Violent Extremism
Together with the PrEval consortium, we are developing evaluation designs to assess Germany’s needs and capacities in preventing violent extremism.
Evaluation of the Roadmap 2024 for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Western Balkans
We conducted a strategic evaluation of 2024 Western Balkans Small Arms Roadmap, which aims to find a sustainable solution to the illegal possession of small arms and light weapons in the Western Balkans by 2024.
Anticipating and Preventing Governance Breakdown and Violent Conflicts in the EU’s Neighborhood
Together with fourteen leading universities and think tanks, we are investigating governance breakdown and violent conflict in the European Union’s neighborhood.
Experts
Asena Baykal
Sarah Brockmeier
Inji El Bakry
Erica Gaston
Theresa Lütkefend
Alicja Polakiewicz
Tobias Schneider
Marie Wagner
Thorsten Benner
Sarah Bressan
Julia Friedrich
Melissa Li
Garima Mohan
Philipp Rotmann
Sofie Lilli Stoffel
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.
