PRIO is proud to announce the publication of a special issue of Journal of Global Security Studies, guest-edited by Nils Petter Gleditsch and Gerald Schneider.
The special issue explores Johan Galtung’s intellectual legacy and his foundational contributions to peace research. Gleditsch and Schneider have brought together a group of leading scholars to examine the continued relevance of Galtung’s ideas for contemporary research.
Johan Galtung, a pioneering figure in conflict and peace research since the early 1960s, passed away in February 2024 at the age of 93. Widely recognised as one of the founders of peace research as an interdisciplinary field, Galtung introduced several concepts that remain central to the study of conflict and peace today.
The contributions focus particularly on Galtung’s groundbreaking work from the 1960s and early 1970s, examining themes such as sanctions, diplomacy, imperialism, inequality, violence, and positive peace, while also reflecting on changes and continuities in his work over his long academic career. Tor Egil Førland’s article ‘All over the place’ traces Galtung’s geographical and intellectual trajectory and offers a preview of a forthcoming full-scale biography.
The special issue provides new perspectives on Galtung’s role in shaping peace research and reflects on the continued relevance of his ideas for contemporary studies of conflict and peace.
Read the issue online: The Intellectual Legacy of Johan Galtung
