Researching Peace - a podcast by Uppsala University

#8 Researching Conflicts Ethically

How should peace researchers reflect on ethics in their studies? What are the key challenges that they are likely to face while investigating on the ground in the conflict zones? Are ethical review boards really necessary? In this episode of Researching Peace, Kristine Höglund -Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University- talks about how to conduct peace research in an ethical manner. She also points out the significance of a rarely-addressed facet of the research ethics debates i.e. the climate responsibilities of the academia.

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

#7 Collecting Conflict Data

Why do we need data on conflicts in order to understand peace? The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) has been collecting systematic information on organized violence around the world for almost 40 years. In this episode of Researching Peace, the UCDP’s program director Magnus Öberg and project manager Therese Pettersson explain the logic and practice of collecting conflict data and they highlight what makes the UCDP one of the leading data sources in the field of peace and conflict research. Öberg and Pettersson also talk about the recent trends in organized violence in light of the newly released UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset 21.1.

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

#6 Resisting without Violence

Do we need to study civil resistance to better understand war and peace? Does civil resistance even work? If so, when and how? In this episode of Researching Peace, Erica Chenoweth - Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School and Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study- talks about the study of civil resistance and shares her insights on the patterns of nonviolent and violent campaigns. Chenoweth’s transformation from a “detached skeptic” to an “invested participant in nonviolent movements” opens questions on the role of scholars and the ethics of studying civil resistance.

 

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

#5 Responding to Conflict

Civil society initiatives for peace are valuable in conflict-affected regions. Peace research learns a lot from the good practices and paves the way for practitioners and policy-makers to make them realize what works and what not when it comes to peacebuilding. In this episode, Hannah Tsadik – Advocacy Director for Open Society Foundation, Africa Regional Office – talks about how to respond to conflict as a civil society actor. Her insights on how her studies at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research have affected her work on the ground give some clues on how to minimize the gap between research and practice.

 

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

#4 Understanding Peace and Conflict Research

Peace research seeks to understand the causes, dynamics, and resolution of armed conflicts and organized violence. In this episode, Kjell-Åke Nordquist – Professor of International Relations at the University College Stockholm- is talking about the origins and the evolution of peace and conflict research in Uppsala. As a former Head of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, he is narrating how he was trained as a peace researcher and how the training had changed over time. He is also sharing how his experiences as a peace researcher helped him in different conflict settings, especially while he was acting as a facilitator in East Timor.

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

#3 Being on the Ground

Conflict-ridden areas are at the focus of peace research in academia. But how does it feel to be on the ground? In this episode, Jamie LeSueur -Head of Emergency Operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Uppsala University Alumnus of the Year (2020)- shares some insights on his daily work as a practitioner and talks about how his time in Uppsala has been affecting his decisions at IFRC. As a master's graduate from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, LeSueur emphasizes that a degree in this field provides "a taste of what reality looks like" and being on the ground may provide even more.

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

#2 Bridging the Gap: Research & Policy

Is there a divide between research and policy? If so, how does this gap manifest itself? In this episode, Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs -Head of Research at the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA)- and Govinda Clayton -Senior Researcher in Peace Processes within the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich- talk about how to bridge the gap especially in peace and conflict related issues. Communication between the researchers and policymakers seems to be the key but why is it so difficult to set the scene for better communication?

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

#1 Evolution of Peace Research in Uppsala

Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University has been working on understanding organized violence since 1971. In this episode, Peter Wallensteen -Senior Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University and Professor Emeritus at University of Notre Dame- takes a look at this 50-year-long journey, talks about the foundational moments of the department and tries to answer some of the biggest questions in the field: What is peace research really about? Why do we need to make peace "researchable”?

Researching Peace is a podcast from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, hosted by Professor Isak Svensson.

Philosophy Tea - John le Carré

Building on his background in British Intelligence John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was a global success. It has been followed by a series of other best-selling works, many of which have been filmed with prominent directors and actors. In this Philosophy Tea we focus on the role of the spies, particularly during the Cold War: Do they contribute to war or peace? Do they add to transparency and tension reduction or to conspiracy, deceit, danger and fear ? It seems le Carré seldom provide answers, but such reflections are necessary, not the least as he in 2019 was awarded the Olof Palme for making “an extraordinary contribution” to “freedom, democracy and social justice”.

This episode of the Philosophy Tea, focusing on John le Carré, was recorded and edited at Reginateatern, which also served as the host venue for the event on 23 November 2021.

Producer: Paul Kessel

 The Philosophy Tea talks were held regularly at the Regina Theatre in Uppsala from 2014 to 2021. During these well attended events – where tea, scones and jam were served – Professor Peter Wallensteen and Guest Lecturer Daniel Ogden, both of Uppsala University, discussed thinkers who have contributed to our understanding of peace and justice. In all, 40 sessions were held, of which 31 are recorded. The session were also supported by Uppsala University as part of its outreach activities.

Philosophy Tea - Naomi Klein

This episode of the Philosophy Tea, focusing on Naomi Klein, was recorded and edited at Reginateatern, which also served as the host venue for the event on 3 November 2021.

In our second Philosophy Tea we discuss Naomi Klein’s timely and controversial contribution to the climate change debate, This Changes Everything (2014). The book is a valuable account of the debate at that time, as well as an excellent introduction to today’s climate crisis. This summer’s extreme weather occurrences, the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warning about climate tipping points, and the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, which has been billed as the last chance to get runaway climate change under control, has made her 2014 analysis more relevant than ever.

Producer: Paul Kessel