Conflict Analysis Research Centre - CARC

The new revamped CARC website is live! Check it out for information on CARC members, activities, events and the exciting research that takes place within CARC! https://research.kent.ac.uk/conflict-analysis/

Conflict Analysis Research Centre – The Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) at the University of Kent is a multi-disciplinary Faculty Research Centre. The Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) at the University of Kent is a multi-disciplinary Faculty Research Centre. It is based in the School of Politics and International Relations but can draw on the expertise of other Schools such as History, Anthropology, Psychology, the School of Social Pol...

Citizen Preferences in the Design of Effective Peace Settlements: introducing The Settlement Scenario Toolkit- an innovation in peace and public opinion studies.

At the conference “Cyprus and Challenges in Constitutional Transitions” held in Nicosia in April, Kent Researchers presented a cooperative research project including a toolkit that maps cross-community preferences aiming to increase awareness of public opinion results and bringing citizens’ voices to the negotiation table, safeguarding the chances of durable and legitimate solutions.

Full conference report and link to the toolkit: https://bit.ly/2WNDWhm

Page not found – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC)

At the conference “Cyprus and Challenges in Constitutional Transitions” held in Nicosia in April, Kent Researchers presented a cooperative research project including a toolkit that maps cross-community preferences aiming to increase awareness of public opinion results and bringing citizens’ voices to the negotiation table- safeguarding the chances of durable and legitimate solutions.

Full conference report and link to the toolkit: https://bit.ly/2WNDWhm

Cyprus and Challenges in Constitutional Transitions: Conference Report – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Cyprus and Challenges in Constitutional Transitions: Conference Report Nicosia, Cyprus 08-10 April 2019 By elg37 | 05 June 2019 The three-day conference focused on international cross-learning in the area of constitutional transitions as well as new innovative tools in their study. It was funded b...

In our latest blog post, Elsa Lilja reflects on her experience as an intern at the Conflict Analysis Research Centre and how it gave her useful background and helped her build transferable skills as she pursues a career in international relations: https://bit.ly/317bLtf

My Internship Experience- Elsa Lilja – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) My Internship Experience- Elsa Lilja By elg37 | 04 June 2019 Elsa Lilja, a graduate student of International Relations and EU External Relations at the University of Kent, was undertaking an internship at the Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) from October 2018 to May 2019. In this post, Els...

In this blog post, Craig Mishler (M.A. Peace and Conflict Studies) discusses the disadvantages of external peace building in Liberia and Sierra Leone: https://bit.ly/2WunnXX

The Disadvantages of External Peacebuilding in Liberia and Sierra Leone – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) The Disadvantages of External Peacebuilding in Liberia and Sierra Leone By Craig Mishler (M.A. Peace and Conflict Studies) By elg37 | 31 May 2019 As the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone were coming to a close in the early 2000s, it became apparent among the international community, as has be...

In the latest post on our blog, Theresa Bachmann (M.A. Peace and Conflict studies) discusses the link between truth commissions and reconciliation through theories within the wider transitional justice and conflict transformation field: https://bit.ly/2W6Dq9P

Truth Commissions and Reconciliation: The Example of South Africa – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Truth Commissions and Reconciliation: The Example of South Africa By Theresa Bachmann (M.A. Peace and Conflict Studies) By elg37 | 31 May 2019 Introduction Post-conflict societies face significant challenges. Looking backwards, a difficult past characterised by gross human rights violations and ma...

As my time as a CARC intern comes to an end, I've written a short piece about my experiences and tips for incoming interns over the next academic year.
Link here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/carc/2019/05/12/my-experience-as-a-carc-intern-valeria-minisini/

- Valeria Minisini, MA International Relations with International Law

My Experience as a CARC Intern – Valeria Minisini – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) My Experience as a CARC Intern – Valeria Minisini By vm259 | 12 May 2019 As my time as a CARC intern comes to an end, I though I would use this post to talk about my experience over the past few months and offer some tips for the incoming interns who will join at the beginning of the 2019/2020 a...

Everyone at CARC would like to congratulate Stevo Pendarovski for winning the first presidential elections in North Macedonia!
Stevo Pendarovski was the keynote speaker at a workshop in Belfast in 2016, which was run by CARC.
Please find the report here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/carc/2019/05/07/opposition-at-the-northern-ireland-assembly-a-prelude-to-political-realignment/

Opposition at the Northern Ireland Assembly: A Prelude to Political Realignment? – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Opposition at the Northern Ireland Assembly: A Prelude to Political Realignment? By vm259 | 07 May 2019 Everyone at CARC would like to, first and foremost, congratulate Stevo Pendarovski, of the Social Democratic Union Party, for winning the first presidential election in the newly named North Mac...

In the latest profile on the people behind CARC, Professor Hugh Miall discusses his first memory that sparked his interest in engaging in studies on peace and war. Further, he takes us through the history and origins of CARC and how it has evolved through the years.

Read more on our blog: https://bit.ly/2W6FWhd

In the next series of profiles of the people behind CARC at Kent, Dr. Yaniv Voller shares with us his motivations for studying domestic conflicts and civil wars. His recent work on South Sudan engages with what he terms second-generation liberation movements. Further, he is currently working on a research project on diaspora as a transnational civil society and how to integrate these communities in developmental projects across the globe. Read more on our blog: https://bit.ly/2W5U0Yn

How can diasporas contribute to lasting peace?

While much has been written on diasporas’ role as peace-wreckers, less has been said about their ‘largely untapped potential as peace-builders.’

Lauren Benson (MA International Relations) discusses how host country governments can seek to recognize, encourage and reward peace-seeking elements within the diaspora, while highlighting challenges and emphasising the need to acknowledge the heterogeneity of these groups.

Read more on the CARC blog: https://bit.ly/2ZbawbH

How can diasporas contribute to lasting peace? A cross-case analysis with examples from the Sri Lankan, Eritrean, Somaliland and Kurdish diasporas – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) How can diasporas contribute to lasting peace? A cross-case analysis with examples from the Sri Lankan, Eritrean, Somaliland and Kurdish diasporas By elg37 | 16 April 2019 By: Lauren Benson (MA International Relations) How can diasporas contribute to lasting peace? A cross-case analysis with examp...

‘There is no engagement with people on the move themselves. Their voice is silenced whilst politicians argue in their echo chambers.

People have attached a lot of fear to the concept of immigration, resulting in a support for securitisation measures. Extreme policing is not a solution-based approach, and it comes at a huge cost to British and French taxpayers.’

In our latest blog post, Maddy Allen shares her experiences working as Field Manager for Help Refugees in Northern France: https://bit.ly/2UVuAfw

Displacement in our Neighbourhood: Police Violence, Forced Evictions and Help Refugees – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Displacement in our Neighbourhood: Police Violence, Forced Evictions and Help Refugees Interview with Maddy Allen By elg37 | 25 March 2019 Increasing levels of police violence, forced evictions and poor living conditions make for a precarious life for displaced people in Northern France. Aid worke...

Today is International Women's Day and the slogan this year is .
In times where women are often placed in difficult positions, the campaign for the 2019 edition of International Women's Day is aimed at raising awareness against gender bias and helping forging a more gender-balanced world.
Today we celebrate the achievements of women who have led countries, international organizations and made a lasting impact on the world and those who are campaigning for change.

THE CLARK KENT’s OF CARC at KENT:
In our latest profile introducing you to the people behind CARC-

Professor Maria Mälksoo explains how wars we thought were confined to history books are re-emerging as conflicts over rightful remembrance of the past. Taking a legal shape in recent years, these wars over memory aim to protect a particular version of the state or nation’s identity.

Read more about Dr. Mälksoo’s fascinating work on our blog: https://bit.ly/2C8A7YS

Thank you to Maddy Allen for a thought provoking talk on how Help Refugees are working to improve conditions for refugees in our neighbourhood.

Information about how you can get involved: https://helprefugees.org/help/

What do YOU want to know about issues facing displaced persons in our neighbourhood?

In connection with our event this Friday, we are inviting you to ask questions to Maddy Allen, Field Manager for Help Refugees in Northern France.

Your questions will form part of an interview and you can submit them through private messaging to our CARC profiles on either Facebook, Twitter or Instagram no later than Thursday March 28th.

'Transitional justice is usually described as the process of addressing the crimes committed by a former regime or during conflict. Typical components are legal justice in the form of prosecutions, truth commissions, amnesty laws and sometimes traditional justice mechanisms. The aim of transitional justice is to prevent the recurrence of old conflicts and to preserve peace. Post-conflict societies tend to focus either on retributive justice or on restorative justice.'
Read Hanna De's blog post on peace vs. justice in Mozambique. https://bit.ly/2NAWo6d

Peace vs. Justice in Mozambique – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Peace vs. Justice in Mozambique By Hanna Denecke, MA Security & Terrorism By vm259 | 26 February 2019 In this blog post I explore the peace versus justice debate in post-conflict societies by looking at the case of Mozambique. Between 1977 and 1992, the Mozambican ruling party FRELIMO (Front for t...

‘This whole aspect of caring from a western perspective is very crucial to the story, as it underlines the devoted, sacrificing character of the hero who gave up his calm, European life to completely dedicate himself for the country that needs him so much: Africa. This sarcastic analysis bares an inconvenient truth: Stories about Africa are rarely stories that reflect on usual everyday lives but rather focus on problematic, exaggerated situations. (…) It is a continent populated by weak, poor, starving, naked and hopeless black masses with neither past nor future.’

Read Katharina Teiser's essay on evolution of Western discourses about Africa, how the movie Lumumba (2002) offers a striking alternative to normalised narratives, reflecting also on gender roles in this representation of the DRC: https://bit.ly/2Thtih8

Narratives on Africa- A Single Story? – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Narratives on Africa- A Single Story? By Katharina Teiser, (MA Peace and Conflict Studies) By elg37 | 23 February 2019 Abstract The following essay aims to reflect on the knowledge of Africa that is present in western discourse. To do so, I will analyse the image of Africa or, more precisely, toda...

Who are the people behind CARC at Kent? Visit our blog for the first in our series of CARC profiles:
https://bit.ly/2V9eqPp

First profile:
Director of CARC and Deputy Head of the School of Politics and International Relations shares his experiences growing up in Northern Ireland, what brought him into the field of Conflict Analysis and his current work on Brexit.

We would like to thank everyone who attended our event with Phil Clark today.
We hope it was informative and insightful.
For those who couldn’t attend, the live stream is saved to this page.
Do keep following our social media pages for updates on our next event in the next few weeks.

Diasporas- do they make or break the peace? Read the latest student blog post by Elsa Lilja, intern at CARC and student of MA International Relations with EU External Relations.

With different case studies, this blog post demonstrates various ways in which diasporas have been involved in conflicts 'back home', emphasises the importance of integration in 'host countries' and how a 'discourse of crisis' may negatively impact opportunities to engage in constructive peace efforts.

Diasporas- do they make or break the peace? – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Diasporas- do they make or break the peace? By: Elsa Lilja (MA International Relations and EU External Relations) By elg37 | 17 December 2018 In light of the question, ‘diasporas have been branded as both peace-builders and peace-wreckers –what factors contribute to augmenting the former and d...

Is a career in mediation worth pursuing? What is it like to work for the United Nations and as a researcher in the field of mediation?

Read what Marie Joëlle Zahar had to say when she spoke to CARC ahead of the annual John Burton lecture:

https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/carc/2018/12/13/john-burton-lecture-2018-interview-with-marie-joelle-zahar/

Good morning!
The second student publication of term is now available. The essay was submitted by Valeria Minisini, one of the CARC interns this academic year who studies MA International Relations with International Law. The essay provides readers with an evaluation of Paul Wehr's conflict mapping technique as applied to the 2006 Nord Kivu Campaign.
Please find the essay here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/carc/2018/12/13/evaluating-paul-wehrs-conflict-mapping-technique/

Evaluating Paul Wehr’s Conflict Mapping Technique – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Evaluating Paul Wehr’s Conflict Mapping Technique Case Study: Nord-Kivu Campaign 2006 By vm259 | 13 December 2018 This blog post seeks to map the Nord-Kivu campaign, which lasted from October 2008 to March 2009 and ravaged an already war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Paul Wehr....

Good morning!
We are delighted to share with you all the first student publication of the academic year.
The essay (linked below) provides analyses the 2008 Russo-Georgian War according to Paul Wehr's conflict mapping technique and was kindly submitted by MA International Conflict Analysis student, Mojahid Hussain.
Link to the CARC Blog: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/carc/2018/12/12/mapping-the-2008-russo-georgian-war/

Mapping the 2008 Russo-Georgian War – Conflict Analysis Research Centre (CARC) Mapping the 2008 Russo-Georgian War By vm259 | 12 December 2018 In this blog post, I will be applying Paul Wehr’s conflict mapping guide in order to map the 2008 Russo-Georgian war. Through understanding this, I will then begin to examine whether the conflict resolution outcome that occurred was...

Today, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as part of Human Rights Day.
In light of some of the world's most tragic violations to human rights in the 20th and 21st centuries, today helps us reflect on the achievements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the human rights treaties that were inspired by it.
See corresponding blog post: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/carc/2018/12/10/the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights-at-70/

Brexit: 'no backstop, no deal and no transition period could have potentially vast political and economic implications for Ireland, the UK, Northern Ireland and the EU,’ says Director of CARC Feargal Cochrane.

Professor Feargal Cochrane provides expert comment on Irish border Brexit negotiations. His current research focuses on examining the impact of Brexit on the peace process in Northern Ireland and its devolved institutions.

To read more: https://www.kent.ac.uk/politics/news-events/index.html?view=1211

Professor Feargal Cochrane provides expert comment on Irish border Brexit negotiations - Politics and International Relations - University of Kent As negotiators appear to have failed to achieve a breakthrough on the Irish border in the Brexit negotiations, Professor Feargal Cochrane, Professor of International Conflict Analysis at Kent’s School of Politics and International Relations, says that 'no backstop, no deal and no transition period...

The Conflict Analysis Research Centre is now on Instagram! We will be posting on a variety of topics in the field of conflict analysis and sharing information about our events. We look forward to engaging with the Instagram community!
Follow us at instagram.com/carc_kent

Photo: