Comment archive

Monday, 2 Jun 2025
Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions

It requires greater engagement from us as a peace research community to show why peace itself is important — indeed, the most important — public good of our time.

Monday, 12 Apr 2021
The Democratic Civil Peace and Beyond: Scott Gates Interviewed by Nils Petter Gleditsch

Scott Gates, interviewed by Nils Petter Gleditsch ‘Strong critical theory doesn’t play a big role in peace science anymore, or even in peace studies’, states American political scientist Scott Gates in this conversation with his long-term collaborator Nils Petter Gleditsch. Scott calls for more and better recording of data disaggregated ...

Thursday, 17 Dec 2020
Truth and Logic for a More Peaceful World: Kristian Berg Harpviken in Conversation with Arne Strand

Kristian Berg Harpviken in conversation with Arne Strand.

Wednesday, 18 Nov 2020
On the Road to Peace: Wenche Iren Hauge Interviewed by Åshild Kolås

Wenche Iren Hauge Interviewed by Åshild Kolås.

Friday, 30 Oct 2020
PRIO's State Feminist: Helga Hernes Interviewed by Kristian Berg Harpviken

Helga Hernes, interviewed by Kristian Berg Harpviken.

Friday, 16 Oct 2020
Fresh Grounded Peace Research: Åshild Kolås Interviewed by Wenche Iren Hauge

Åshild Kolås, interviewed by Wenche Iren Hauge.

Friday, 4 Sep 2020
The Peace Policy Maker: Dan Smith Interviewed by Stein Tønnesson

Dan Smith, interviewed by Stein Tønnesson.

Monday, 29 Jun 2020
Searching the Archives for a Missing Peace: Hilde Henriksen Waage Interviewed by Henrik Syse

Hilde Henriksen Waage, interviewed by Henrik Syse.

Friday, 12 Jun 2020
Organizing for Peace: Mari Holmboe Ruge Interviewed by Kristian Berg Harpviken

Mari Holmboe Ruge, interviewed by Kristian Berg Harpviken.

Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Non-Pacifist Philosophy in Good Faith: Henrik Syse Interviewed by Trond Bakkevig

Henrik Syse, interviewed by Trond Bakkevig.

Wednesday, 25 Sep 2019
A Migrant in the Common European House: Pavel Baev Interviewed by Stein Tønnesson

Pavel Baev, interviewed by Stein Tønnesson.

Wednesday, 18 Sep 2019
Creating a Third Space in the Cyprus Conflict: Mete Hatay Interviewed by Cindy Horst

Mete Hatay, interviewed by Cindy Horst.

Wednesday, 11 Sep 2019
From Anarchy to Enlightened Absolutism? Sverre Lodgaard Interviewed by Hilde Henriksen Waage

Sverre Lodgaard, interviewed by Hilde Henriksen Waage.

Wednesday, 19 Jun 2019
The Lifelong Peace Advocate: A Portrait of Marek Thee (1918–1999) by Marta Bivand Erdal

Marek Thee (1918–1999), a portrait written by Marta Bivand Erdal.

Wednesday, 12 Jun 2019
Congo and Structural Violence: Helge Hveem Interviewed by Per Olav Reinton

Helge Hveem, interviewed by Per Olav Reinton.

Wednesday, 5 Jun 2019
A Historian’s Paths to Peace: Reflections from Stein Tønnesson

When looking back, I find nine paths I have explored in a quest to understand war and peace.

Wednesday, 29 May 2019
A Social Democratic Peace: Nils Petter Gleditsch Interviewed by Hilde Henriksen Waage

Nils Petter Gleditsch, interviewed by Hilde Henriksen Waage.

Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Uniting Nations for Peace: Ingrid Eide Interviewed by Stein Tønnesson

Ingrid Eide Interviewed by Stein Tønnesson.

Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Inspiration from a Father: Johan Galtung Interviewed by Henrik Urdal

Johan Galtung Interviewed by Henrik Urdal.

Monday, 6 Aug 2018
How Do We Decolonize Peace Research?

This is a guest blog post by a student who attended this year’s Peace Research course at the International Summer School 2018. The imprint of war on my life and on those of other young people living in the Global South is the reason I chose to participate in the ...

Wednesday, 2 Aug 2017
Being Policy Relevant in Peace Research means Forecasting

Driven by the ever-increasing availability of (big) data, as well as computational power and resources, we are currently witnessing an important academic debate about the promises and pitfalls of predicting social and human behavior. Given its potentially disastrous consequences, the prediction of armed conflict and political violence more generally, not ...

Tuesday, 7 Mar 2017
A Tourist in Search of the Real Cuba

After traveling in Cuba for two weeks, I sit down to reflect: What is Cuba? A socialist laboratory for Che Guevara’s ‘New Man’? A vast outdoor museum of Spanish colonial architecture? An extraordinary collection of sixty-year old American gas-guzzling automobiles? A zoo for humans (excellent health care, low infant mortality, ...

Monday, 6 Mar 2017
Trump Reminded Me Why I Am An Academic

“Why did you become an academic?” is a question that I’m frequently asked. For me, my path into this profession is pretty clear. I was about fourteen and a freshman in high school in the early 1990s. A few of my friends joined the school chapter of Amnesty International, and ...

Wednesday, 29 Jun 2016
Peace is a Process

On 21 June 2016, UNESCO hosted a path-breaking Consultative Meeting on the contribution of the UN system to the promotion of peace. The meeting was attended by heads of 28 United Nations entities (programmes, funds, specialized agencies and bodies), who discussed the advancement of the global peace agenda and took ...

Wednesday, 30 Dec 2015
In Defence of the Reviled 20th century

The century of peace. The 20th century laid the foundations for what could make our century a century of peace. The 20th century is often referred to as the bloodiest in human history. Towards the end of that century, the historians Eric Hobsbawm, Gabriel Kolko and Niall Ferguson published general ...

Thursday, 3 Dec 2015
Research Training in Eastern Congo

I have just returned from two weeks in Congo. PRIO colleagues Ragnhild Nordås, Siri Aas Rustad and I held project meetings with our local partner. Most of our time in Congo, however, was spent teaching how to conduct research. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is often described as one ...

Friday, 14 Aug 2015
Oh my, not another ‘Festschrift’!

Eight years ago, I wrote a short piece for a Norwegian science policy journal lampooning the Festschrift as an outmoded form of academic communication. The Festschrift, I can hear some of my non-Scandinavian readers ask: Are such volumes still being published? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Of course, it is ...

Monday, 3 Aug 2015
Impressions from Norway

This is the second of two guest blog posts by students who attended this year’s Peace Research course at the International Summer School 2015. My visit to Oslo, Norway, to participate in the International Summer School always had an element of pleasant surprise. It was my first time visiting; straight from ...

Thursday, 30 Jul 2015
My Visit to PRIO

This is the first of two guest blog posts by students who attended this years Peace Research course at the International Summer School 2015. “He reminds me of my grandfather!” The liveliest girl in our class had her back to the wall and was sobbing uncontrollably while PRIO’s old, too ...

Wednesday, 29 Apr 2015
Earthquake in Nepal and we are Safe

Peace researchers often have the opportunity to witness the ‘real world’ of conflict and post-conflict during fieldwork in countries such as Nepal. In some cases we also cooperate with local institutions where we benefit from working with fellow peace researchers and other partners. In Nepal we have had the great ...