Grant Awardee Testimonials
This is a list of testimonials from Peace Research Grant Awardees to help you get a better sense of the IPRA Foundation and peace research we fund.
“The IPRA Foundation grant helped us get off the ground with our project. After the initial pilot that you helped fund, we were able to obtain $60,000 in funding from UNICEF and the Macarthur Foundation to expand and extend the project. We’ve just confirmed a $200,000 grant from UNICEF and the UK’s Department for International Development to extend the research another year. The research has been very well received in Uganda and New York, and we’ve advised dozens of donors and NGOs on their programs in northern Uganda as a result. Your help in the very beginning was instrumental in this success. ”
Christopher Blattman, Canada
STOLEN CHILDREN, SHATTERED LIVES? A PROPOSAL FOR THE CHILD SOLDIER TRACKING PROJECT (CSTP): A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF ABDUCTION, SOLDERING, AND REINTEGRATION ON THE CHILDREN OF SUDAN AND UGANDA
“Our toys and violence research was started in 2002 thanks to a grant the IPRA Foundation alloted us. We are going to publish a book, illustrated with drawings and pictures. These activities take place in the framework of our Program Give Peace a Chance started in 1999 and of the Global Campaign for Peace Education of the Hague Appeal for Peace.”
Alicia Cabezudo, Argentina
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF VIOLENT TOYS?
“I thank International Peace Research Association for supporting this research. Originally, I had planned to conduct this research only in Turkey, by examining Turkish-Kurdish and Turkish-Armenian conflict contexts. This grant was instrumental not only in completing the planned research, but it also made possible to extend the research to the investigation of the ethnic conflict in Burundi. The IPRA grant was used to collect research data in Turkey and in Burundi.”
Rezarta Bilali, Albania
THE EFFECT OF GROUP IDENTITY ON MEMORIES OF PAST CONFLICTS
“We are so grateful to the Foundation for our grant that enabled us to print one of our new publications. There are Realistic Alternatives. We know of one professor who has adopted the book for his classes and we have had interest expressed by others. Clearly, this publication has been significant and had some ripple effect, which may not have been possible without the IPRA Foundation’s support”
Gene Sharp, USA
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES
“Through the support of the IPRA Foundation, Global Education Associates has been able to develop a much needed reference for guide for peace educators on educational evaluation. The dearth of educational evaluation in the field of peace education, and the necessary training needed to conduct it properly, has been a major dilemma that few are addressing formally. By equipping educators within our networks (the IIPE, CIPE and Global Campaign for Peace Education) with some basic knowledge and skills in evaluation theory and methods we hope to make a small, but desperately needed contribution to the field. We hope to begin distributing this resource in the near future and look forward to sharing the new research that emerges.”
Tony Jenkins
Co-Director, Peace Education Center, Teachers College Columbia University (www.tc.edu/PeaceEd)
Program Coordinator, Global Education Associates (www.g-e-a.org)
EVALUATING PEACE EDUCATION
“Articles that focus on the study I did that was funded by the IPRAF grant were published in five languages (English, Hebrew, French, German and Dutch – mostly in English) in:
Two relatively big news agencies (Inter press Service – 570 newspapers and magazines; and JTA – the Jewish global news agency which writes for over 100 newspapers and websites), articles in newspapers were published in leading newspapers in Israel, Belgium, Egypt (discussed the study), and this week I am interviewed for an American newspaper and the leading Italian newspaper + over 100 websites around the world put articles focusing on the study + I was interviewed for the Saudi Arabia English TV channel. Surely quite a few articles were published by the newspapers which get articles from the 2 news agencies – but I can not have information about it.
All this is until now. There is still activity in this direction and I believe more will be published. So, it seems that there is interest in the study.”
Rafi Nets-Zehngut, Israel
MAPPING THE ISRAELI COLLECTIVE MEMORY OF THE ISRAELI-ARAB/PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
“1. The grant gave us (my office) an opportunity to document a model for a successful program on interfaith dialogue. As an offshoot of 9/11, interfaith dialogue has become a major response to many conflicts including Mindanao. The study has become a blueprint for this kind of endeavor.
2. The paper is now used in many peace studies program as a case study for interfaith dialogue.
3. Our exposure to the community provided a venue for academe-community interaction, hence the interfaith community has become one of the outreach areas of Ateneo faculty and students giving the academics a chance to serve the community and learn from the experience.
My hearfelt gratitude for the chance to undertake this study and through this, the opportunity of participating in the Calgary IPRA conference.”
Bing (Ofelia Durante)
MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE: A CASE STUDY OF TWO COMMUNITIES IN ZAMBOANGO CITY, MINDINAO, PHILIPPINES
“Our grant from the IPRA Foundation allowed us to maintain a collaborative action-research project on community radio, democratization and peace in Palestine. Most of the funds were devoted to conducting and documenting a training program that was attended by some thirty youth and young professionals in Nablus. Even though the occupation and intra-communal conflict prevented our radio station from being launched, the knowledge generated and training made possible by this small grant have been invaluable in our community. Thanks to IPRA for supporting our unconventional research collaboration. It sustained us for many months of work.”
Cynthia Cohen, Brandeis University
Mohammad Sawalha, An-Najah Universisty
Palestinian House of Friendship, Nablus, Palestine
COMMUNITY RADIO, DEMOCRACY AND PEACE: AN ACTION RESEARCH COLLABORATION
“A list of the policy and journal publications that came from the IPRAF-supported research can be found here:http://chrisblattman.com/projects/sway/. In the end this became a very large project with many donors, but IPRAF was one of our first and gave us the seed funding to get it off the ground. It led to four years of work on youth well-being and post-war reintegration in northern Uganda. Thanks for the support and let me know if there’s anything more I can add.”
Chris Blattman
Assistant Professor of Political Science & Economics, Yale University
http://chrisblattman.com
STOLEN CHILDREN, SHATTERED LIVES? A PROPOSAL FOR THE CHILD SOLDIER TRACKING PROJECT (CSTP): A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF ABDUCTION, SOLDERING, AND REINTEGRATION ON THE CHILDREN OF SUDAN AND UGANDA
“I am eternally grateful for the generous support of the IPRA Foundation. Without their support this research would not have been possible. The IPRA Foundation offers a unique opportunity for an interdisciplinary group of researchers from all over the world to explore vital issues facing our world today. I am honored to be part of such an inspiring group of researchers and practitioners.”
Emma Swan
Director, Women and Peace Program
International Women’s Rights Project, Victoria, Canada
AN EXPLORATION INTO THE GENDERED INTERPRETATION OF SUMMUD AND ITS SUBSEQUENT MANIFESTATIONS IN PALESTINIAN PEACEBUILDING: TOWARDS A GENDER INCLUSIVE MODEL OF PEACEBUILDING
“Thanks to IPRAF’s support, our team was able to complete fieldwork in Gaza and the West Bank that provided us with critical insight into the civil resistance strategies that underpinned the mass mobilization efforts of the First Intifada. This grant enabled us to capture perspectives from women from different geographic areas, class backgrounds, education levels and positions of leadership, ensuring that our research reflects the diversity of participation in the uprising. We are very grateful for IPRAF’s generosity, which has played a key role in the success of our project.”
Julia Bacha, Just Vision, USA
Impact Producer – The Wanted 18
Director & Producer Budrus & My Neighbourhood
Creative Director Just Vision
Speaker TED
RESEARCH PROJECT ON WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN HISTORIC NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT-BUILDING IN THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONTEXT
“Thanks to the early support of the IPRA Foundation, I and my partner organizations in Zimbabwe were able to develop and test a methodology to collect information on the sensitive topic of political risk in Zimbabwe. Without this support, it would have been impossible for us to ultimately attract larger sources of funding to collect information from 1,200 respondents in a large-scale survey of opposition supporters in urban and rural areas. Our research delves into the micro-mechanisms of how citizens in an autocratic regime decide to express support for democracy to show that the emotions of anger and fear shape how citizens perceive and process information about political risk. These micro-level mechanisms also scale up into meaningful variation in who takes pro-democracy action and who stays home in a repressive environment. We look forward to continuing to work with the IPRA network as we move forward with this research agenda! ”
Lauren E. Young, USA
Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science
Columbia University, New York, USA
PROMISES AND PAIN: THE USE OF PATRONAGE AND COERCION TO WIN ELECTIONS
“I am grateful to the IPRA Foundation for providing me with a small grant to complete my study. The grant enabled me to undertake interviews with many stakeholders and to convene Focus Groups that were essential to the completion of the study. It was of great value that the study includes representatives of all actors in the Zimbabwe’s governance. The grant enabled victims of the lack of governance in the country to have their views taken into account, especially in the analysis of many events in Zimbabwe’s history. They were also able to participate with other stakeholders in making recommendations on how good governance and peace should be established within the framework of the new Zimbabwe’s Constitution of 2013. The IPRA Foundation’s support is therefore greatly appreciated.”
Leonard T. Kapungu, Ph.D., Director of Research, Documentation and Training at the General Emmanuel Erskine Research and Documentation Centre
Mutare, Zimbabwe
THE SEARCH FOR PEACE: THE PROMOTION OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN ZIMBABWE
“I applied for the IPRA Foundation grant never thinking I would be a recipient, but it came through. And better still, I was offered the full sum of $5,000 which was above my original quote. While I had planned a trip to Addis Ababa for my field research, the Foundation’s generosity afforded me the opportunity of a trip to Nigeria for my research as well. Getting by in Addis Ababa and movement within Nigeria where I had to travel long distances for interviews was not easy, but IPRAF’s research grant was vital to my succeeding. Some part of it also augmented my fees. The Foundation’s gesture helped my dream for a PhD anI hope the impact of my research will justify this assistance. I am deeply grateful.”
Jude Cocodia, Ph.D., School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham, UK
THE AFRICAN UNION AS PEACEKEEPER: AN EVALUATION ON EFFECTIVE PEACEKEEPING
“As a Cypriot, the Cyprus conflict has been a part of both my daily and professional life. My decision to embark upon a PhD, where I would focus Cypriot identities and perceptions of security, was a very personal one. The IPRA Foundation grant did not only help me deepen and enrich my PhD fieldwork with extensive use of mixed-methods, it also helped me unpack and get to know my own Cypriotness better. I hope my research findings and future publications will inform policy-making and peacebuilding efforts in Cyprus, and with more comparative analysis, they may be able to facilitate efforts in other conflict environments as well. In addition to financial help that was truly instrumental for the success of my research, it was an absolute pleasure to work with and receive the support of IPRA Foundation throughout the process.”
Ilke Dagli, Ph.D. candidate, Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick, UK, Cyprus and UK
SECURITISATION OF ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN CONFLICT ENVIRONMENTS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACE-BUILDING: THE CASE OF CYPRUS
“The IPRAF Peace Research Grant allowed me to continue research started as part of my dissertation and further my collaboration with Sadaka Reut. With the grant funds I was able to travel to Israel during the summers of 2015 and 2016 to meet with organization staff and former participants, attend strategic planning and facilitation training meetings, in order to better understand the mechanisms that have enabled Sadaka Reut to inspire its participants to continue working towards positive social change in the Israeli context. I am grateful for this support.”
Karen Ross, Ph.D, Education Policy Studies, Indiana University, School of Education IN, USA, Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution, UMASS Boston, Senior Fellow, Center for Peace, Democracy and Development, UMASS Boston
UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS OF SOCIAL CHANGE EMPOWERMENT: FROM ENCOUNTER PARTICIPATION TO PEACE-BUILDING ACTIVISM
“I am very grateful to the IPRA Foundation’s generous support. The grant has supported field research in Kyrgyzstan for a project that seeks to understand how pockets of peace emerge and are sustained during episodes of violent conflict. The funding has enabled me develop an analytical framework for this phenomenon that can be explored in other contexts. It is just the beginning of what I hope will be a much broader, cross-national study of the nature and causes of pockets of peace, and it is thanks to the IPRA foundation’s support that I was able to get this research off the ground. In addition, they have been an absolute pleasure to work with and I could not have asked for a more supportive and understanding funder. Many thanks.”
Sarah Jenkins, Ph.D, Research Associate in Peace and Conflict Studies, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
POCKETS OF PEACE, AGENTS OF RESISTANCE: MICRO-LEVEL PEACE INITIATIVES IN KYRGYZSTAN
“Our project, which we hope will be a valuable contribution to current efforts deployed to solve the Syrian crisis and manage the refugee crisis attached to it, was made entirely possible by the generous support of the IPRA Foundation. We are particularly grateful to the IPRA Foundation for supporting our field work by making it possible to collect a larger set of data, but also for allowing the translation of the final paper into Arabic so that it can be accessible to the persons who contributed to it.”
Annabelle Giger, MPhil International Relations, University of Cambridge
RECOVER: REPRODUCING CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN SYRIAN REFUGEE CAMPS
“The IPRAF Peace Research Grant facilitated a survey experiment in Southern Kyrgyzstan on why individuals support participation in spontaneous ethnic violence against another ethnic group. Without the IPRAF’s support, the survey would quite simply not have been done. The funding is perfect for both piloting larger surveys and, in this case, a one-time survey experiment that supplements qualitative work.”
Konstantin Ash, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA,
INSECURITY, POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM AND ETHNIC RIOT PARTICIPATION IN KYRGYZSTAN
“I am so appreciative of receiving the Peace Research Grant from the IPRA Foundation. It enabled me to conduct my research in China and Russia, something that wouldn’t have been feasible for me without this grant but that was crucial for my research design. I heartily thank the selection committee for having such confidence in my work and for them understanding why my research matters. It has not only given me the opportunity to conduct my research but also helped me to gain more confidence in the significance of my scholarly work. Thank you.”
Femke E. Bakker, Ph.D Candidate, Assistant Professor, Institute for Political Science, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
LIBERAL NORMS AND SUPPORT FOR WAR IN COMPARATIVE CROSS-REGIME PERSPECTIVE: EVALUATING THE PRESENCE AND INFLUENCE OF LIBERAL NORMS
“I am very grateful for the support of the IPRA Foundation for my project on how coups d’etat escalate to civil war. Thanks to the IPRAF grant, I was able to hire a team of research assistants whose assistance was instrumental in helping me completed a new data set on state security forces in countries across the globe. I used the data set to systematically theories about the escalation of coups to civil war in a way that would not have been possible before. I anticipate that the data set will also be of use to scholars studying military effectiveness, state capacity, and repression. Articles presenting the data set and findings from the project are currently under review.”
Erica DeBruin, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Government, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, USA
HOW COUPS ESCALATE TO CIVIL WAR
“Without the IPRA Foundation support I wouldn’t able to carry out the survey experiment that allowed me to test innovative methods in studying public opinion in the regimes with limited freedom of speech. Therefore I gladly express my deepest gratitude for the IPRA Foundation.”
Margarita Zavadskaya, Ph.D Candidate, Senior Research Fellow, Laboratory for Comparative Social Research, National Research University “Higher School of Economics,” Moscow-St. Petersburg, Russia
NONVIOLENT PUNISHMENT IN AUTOCRACIES: HOW RESPONSIBILITY ATTRIBUTION FOR THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN RUSSIA UNDERMINES THE REGIME STABILITY
“The IPRA Foundation Peace Research Grant was instrumental for conducting field research in Chile for my project on the impact of justice and reconciliation processes on individual/community level trust and security following mass violence. I am extremely grateful for the generous support they provided, without which this first field trip for the project would not have been possible.”
Holly L. Guthrey, Ph.D, Research Fellow, Hugo Valentin Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
ENHANCING SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUND? EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF TOP-DOWN AND BOTTOM-UP POST-CONFLICT JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION PROCESSES
“We are extremely grateful to the IPRA Foundation for funding the production of our film Strangers to Peace, a documentary about the reintegration process of ex-guerrilla soldiers of the FARC into Colombian society. We were able to film ex-combatants living in Bogotá as well as undertake a trip to one of the demobilization camps in northern Colombia. In addition to producing the film, the IPRA Foundation's support has allowed me to work on an academic article about national reconciliation in Colombia during the peace process.”
Colleen Alena O'Brien, Ph.D, Postdoctoral Researcher, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
STRANGERS TO PEACE: INVESTIGATING THE REINTEGRATION OF FARC COMBATANTS THROUGH ETHNOGRAPHIC FILMMAKING
“I am so grateful to the IPRA Foundation for the grant that enabled me to complete a documentary film on Rohingya refugees after conducting a field research in Bangladesh. This film titled, ‘The Voices of Rohingya Refugees,’ is scheduled to be screened in various university campuses in the United States in 2019 and is a fundamental part of my ongoing research on consequences of political conflict.”
Srobana Bhattacharya, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Studies, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, Georgia, USA
SOCIO-POLITICAL IDENTITY TRANSFORMATIONS: THE ROHINGA REFUGEE CRISIS IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
“The IPRAF grant allowed us to assess the most salient chapter of the Latin American presence in the first phase of UN Political Mission in Colombia (UNMC), created to support in the implementation of the Peace Agreement (2016) between the government of Colombia and the FARC-EP. Thanks to IPRAF funding we were able to lead an ethnographic study based upon the testimonies given by military and police verifiers from Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia besides UN staff and civil volunteers. While this project links with our previous work on peace and security in Latin America, we hope it has opened a new horizon for peace studies in our region. We are especially keen on its contribution for a deeper understanding of the gender-security nexus in post conflict scenarios.”
Monica Hirst, Ph.D, Strategic Studies, Visiting Professor, IESP University of Rio de Janeiro, Professor. International Studies Master Program, Universidad Torcuato di Tella, Argentina
THE LATIN AMERICAN PRESENCE IN THE PEACE PROCESS OF COLOMBIA
“I am very grateful for the generosity and support of IPRA Foundation. Their peace research grant helped me immensely in conducting my Ph.D. fieldwork research in India and Kashmir. I especially appreciate the committee members’ support in the unprecedented circumstances of COVID-19 that we continue to find ourselves in. Their continued guidance and patience throughout the course of the grant was much appreciated. I look forward to sharing my academic papers, a few of them are in the works already, with IPRAF.”
Niharika Pandit, Ph.D. Candidate, Gender Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science
GENDER, MILITARISATION AND NARRATIVES OF HOME IN KASHMIR VALLEY
“The IPRA Foundation research grant has enabled me to have substantial field travel and interaction with research participants on my project, ‘NGOs and local ownership in peacebuilding’. Winning this grant has tremendously increased my credibility as a rigorous researcher with a global audience. Since winning this grant, 10/10 organizations or experts in the fields of peace and development who have seen IPRA Foundation grant award on my CV, have sought further and deeper conversation with me because of the huge reputation that the Foundation has gained in promoting research with academic and policy impact across the globe. For instance, some heads of higher academic institutions, on seeing IPRA Foundation grant on my CV, expressed their interest in my services (post-Ph.D.). They believe that by attracting such a competitive grant, I will be able to win bigger grants for their respective institutions, and further train their staff to write great grant proposals and carry out ground-breaking research.
In all, I would confidently say the IPRA Foundation grant has just placed me on the biggest pedestal in my career as a researcher in peace, development, and politics.”
Sebastian Paalo Angzoorokuu, Ph.D. Candidate, Politics and International Studies, School of Political Science and International Studies, The University of Queensland, Australia
LOCAL OWNERSHIP, NGOS AND PEACEBUILDING IN AFRICA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF CONFLICT-AFFECTED ZONES IN GHANA
“Through IPRAF’s generous grant I have been able to conduct fieldwork for an ongoing research project which will lead into a PhD thesis and other academic and policy outputs. Furthermore, based on the key findings of this study and given its policy relevance, I successfully competed for the Policy Leader Fellowship at the School of Transnational Governance (STG), European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy. During the fellowship (February – June 2021) I will work on a policy paper based on the key findings of this study.”
Ibrahim Sakawa Magara, Ph.D. Candidate, Loughborough University, UK, Policy Leader Fellow, School of Transnational Governance (STG), European Institute University (EUI), Florence, Italy
REGIONAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA: A STUDY OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY ON DEVELOPMENT (IGAD) PEACE MEDIATION IN SOUTH SUDAN
“The IPRA Foundation grant has proved crucial for the action research about the grass-root peace and reconciliation activities in the east of Croatia during and after the Homeland war (1991-2001) in the then-occupied counties of Vukovar-Srijem and Osijek-Baranja. In the period January 2020–January 2021 the grant helped me to gather substantial amount of first-hand data about the inter-religious and peace reconciliation encounters. Despite the restrictions imposed regarding the COVID-19, I managed to conduct 21 in-depth interviews and collect more than 750 documents and materials by visiting six (private and public) archives and museums in Croatia. This in turn helped me to reveal different actors and their motivations to get involved in grass root (inter-religious and peace) activities, that will consequently enrich Croatian historical discourse of the war by providing counter-narratives for further critical analysis. I am thankful that IPRAF recognised the research about Croatia grass-root initiatives to be valuable in terms of its contribution to the global research of peace. Their support raised the visibility of this project and gave additional credibility to me as a researcher - being ethnic Macedonian and Protestant, in a majority Croatian and Roman Catholic country. At the same time the grant provided much needed continuity and stability to the research, by covering different and important sets of expenses. Thank you IPRAF!”
Julijana Mladenovska-Tešija, Ph.D. Candidate, Faculty of Humanities, Department for Religious Studies and Theology, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands, Evangelical Theological Seminary, Osijek, Croatia
WARTIME RECONCILIATION LABORATORY: CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF RECONCILIATION BY CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS IN EASTERN CROATIA AND AFTER THE HOMELAND WAR (1991-2001)
“The IPRA foundation peace research grant helped me undertake a very revealing field research on politically induced ethnic conflict and the relentless efforts of communities to maintain their peaceful coexistence in Ethiopia. I am very much grateful for the opportunity and I owe much to IPRA foundation for academic publications I will have on this subject.”
Bekele Melese Eshete, Ph.D, College of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Head of the Dept. of Social Science, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
ETHNIC CONFLICT AND COEXISTENCE STRATEGIES AMONG THE AMHARA AND KEMANT COMMUNITIES IN AMHARA REGIONAL STATE, NORTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA
“The IPRA Foundation research grant was instrumental in initiating a research project on Wildlife Conservancies Sustainability. With the IPRA Foundation grant, we initiated the first phase of the project that examined how wildlife conservancies have impacted on community peace and stability. We are extremely grateful to the IPRA Foundation for helping us lay the foundation for this project. Thank you.”
Joseph Muiruri Karanja, Ph.D, Department of Environmental Studies, Geography and Agriculture, Maasai Mara University, Kenya
DO WILDLIFE CONSERVANCIES PROMOTE PEACE IN INDIGENOUS PASTORAL COMMUNITIES OF KENYA?
“The Peace Research Grant has allowed me to update Damai Pangkal Damai, a database on nonviolent action in post-Soeharto Indonesia, as well as conduct case studies on six of the most prominent movements in Indonesia. In addition to gaining insights on how to increase the margins of success of nonviolent actions, the project facilitated meaningful exchanges among the communities involved. Thank you, IPRAF!”
Diah Kusumaningrum, Ph.D. in Political Science, Lecturer, Dept. of International Relations and the Masters Program in Peace and Conflict Studies, Researcher and Facilitator at the Center for Security and Peace Studies, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
TWO NONVIOLENT ACTIONS A DAY KEEP THE DICTATORS AWAY? NONVIOLENT ACTIONS AND DEMOCRATIC (DE)CONSOLIDATION IN INDONESIA
“Thank you to the IRPAF grant, we were able to host a youth peace leadership retreat for emerging youth peace leaders across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, northwestern India. The research generated from this project gave us profound new insights into carving out a novel, holistic, youth-driven path to peacebuilding in the region and is leading to the development of a peace leadership curriculum and other novel outputs.”
Josephine Gardner, Ph.D Candidate in International Relations with Specialization in Peace and Conflict, Scientia Scholar, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
MAPPING EMERGENT PEACE SYSTEMS THROUGH YOUTH-LED DIALOGUE IN JAMMU & LADAHK
“I really appreciate the support from IPRA-F. This grant helped to write research report on the role of art-based methods in intergenerational dialogue. The IPRA Foundation grant supported me to explore how arts and performances can be used a peace-dialogue between young people and local policy makers. Now I am part of Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP) research team. We are working on a book on the role of arts and performances in peacebuilding in post conflict set-up.”
Rajib Timalsina, Assistant Professor, Department of Conflict, Peace and Development Studies and Department of International Relations, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
PERFORMANCE AND ARTS FOR PEACE-DIALOGUES IN SCHOOLS
“We thank the IPRA Foundation for the Grant that made it possible to carry out the research in Brazil. Our project aimed to analyze the role of companies, especially Sodexo, as agents of peace in hiring vulnerable migrants. In addition, we are grateful for all the support for carrying out the project and the necessary changes due to the limitations of the pandemic. These were very important for the completion of the research and for the dissemination of the results obtained.”
Ana Luiza da Gama e Souza, Ph.D. in Philosophy, Ph.D. in Legal and Social Sciences, Professor/Researcher, Fluminese Federal University, Administrative Justice Ph.D. Program, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Lara Denise Goes da Costa, Ph.D. in Social Sciences, Assistant Professor at Brazilian War College, Ministry of Defense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
VULNERABLE MIGRANTS IN BRAZIL: TOWARDS BUILDING POSITIVE PEACE THROUGH THE COMPANY'S COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS
“I am very honored to receive the IPRA Foundation’s research support. It helped me to complete the peace-related research I was always excited about. Fortunately, it has been completed successfully. I hope to bring a new perspective and insight into academic research and be inspirational for future generations.”
Pinar Temocin, Ph.D., Education and Research Support Assistant, Center for Peace, Hiroshima University, Japan
FROM HIROSHIMA TO FUKUSHIMA: GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY FOR REVITALIZING PEACE, DEMOCRACY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN POST-FUKUSHIMA JAPAN
“My work on ex-combatant reintegration would not have been possible without the Foundation’s generous support of field research in Colombia. IPRAF funds brought me to remote areas of Colombia to talk to ex-combatants about reintegration and peace. The project is now well developed and yielding important findings for peace scholars and practitioners that I hope will further our understanding of ex-combatant reintegration as a critical component for peacebuilding.”
Susan Brewer-Osorio, Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs, Assistant Professor, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Arizona, USA
THE COLLECTIVE REINCORPORATION OF EX-COMBATANTS IN COLOMBIA: SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AND ABANDONED SPACES
“With the support of the IPRA Foundation, we were able to complete interviews among 50 residents in Myanmar in 2022, who described their lived experiences in post-coup Myanmar. Findings from this exploratory research that attempts to explain the roots of variation in the nature and scale of violence will be presented at invited talks at Brown University, Northern Illinois University, and Yale University in 2023, and will be summited to academic journals.”
Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung, Ph.D. in Political Science, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA
HOW HAVE SOME VILLAGES HAVE REMAINED PEACEFUL IN VIOLENT-PRONE AREAS? THE ROLE OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS IN POST-COUP MYANMAR
“Over the course of my Doctoral Program I have found it difficult to find funding support for critical research in conflict/post-conflict settings. The International Peace Research Association Foundation grant helped support my final data collection in South Sudan and I am incredibly grateful for their quick communication and support. I would not have been able to round out my study and the academic school year without the support of the IPRA FOUNDATION.”
Orelia Jonathan, Ph.D. Candidate in Philosophy and Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Concentration in Culture, Institutions and Society, Research Assistant, Harvard Legacy of Slavery Initiative, Instructor in Education and Graduate Teaching Fellow, Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
TEACHING TOWARD PEACE?: TEACHERS EXPERIENCES TEACHING SECONDARY SCHOOL HISTORY IN SOUTH SUDAN
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the IPRA Foundation for their unwavering support and generous grant towards my research project: Refugee inclusion in national education systems and social cohesion and Lebanon and Turkey. I am particularly impressed by the foundation's flexibility and understanding of the challenges that come with conducting research in the field of education and peacebuilding especially during pandemic-related turbulent times. The grant has allowed me to pursue my research with confidence, knowing that I have the support of a foundation that values the importance of my work. I am grateful for this opportunity to make a positive impact on refugee education policy and practice and I am excited to share my work in an effort to contribute to creating a more peaceful world.”
Arianna Pacifico, Ph.D. Comparitive and International Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, Researcher focused on education in crisis contexts, Education in emergencies professional, transnational action network coordinator, presenter, trainer and facilitator
PROMOTING SOCIAL COHESION AND PEACE THROUGH POLICIES OF INCLUSION: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF REFUGEE EDUCATION IN LEBANON AND TURKEY
“The IPRA Foundation small grant for peace research particularly enabled me to research how the informal land demarcation systems are contributing to peace and averting conflict, which has increased my appreciation of non-violent and everyday approaches to conflict resolution. The grant gave me the opportunity to reconnect with the informants and research sites where I conducted PhD research. More exciting about the IPRA grant is the flexibility of the managers of the small grant in that I was able to get an extension on the delivery dates due to the challenges occasioned by Covid-19. I have written a reach paper which I have submitted for publication. ”
Eria Serwajja, Ph.D., Department of Development Studies, Lecturer, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
'INFORMAL' LAND DEMARCATION SYSTEMS: A LIFELINE TO DE-ESCALATION OF LAND CONFLICTS AND PROMOTION OF PEACE IN POST-CONFLICT NORTHERN UGANDA
“The IPRA Foundation grant provided me with an opportunity to conduct this research successfully. Of great value was the cross-cultural dialogue and talks we had on the common values that we share and the goal for a peaceful society despite our cultural, linguistic, ethnic, race, and religious diversity. The grant also helped me develop a successful project proposal that won the 2023 Lamin Sanneh Research Prize which will focus on “Dialogical Theology and Practices in Peacebuilding. ”
Stephen Asol Kapinde, Ph.D., Theology, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Pwani University, Kenya
MIXING RELIGIOUS LOGICS IN PEACEBUILDING: AN INTEGRATED INTER-FAITH APPROACH TO COUNTER-VIOLENT EXTREMISM IN KENYA
“I am very grateful to the IPRA Foundation for providing me the opportunity and resources necessary to conduct the research on this important issue of Enforced Disappearance in Nepal during the ten year long armed conflict. Using the peace grant from IPRAF, I was able to conduct the field visits in Nepal and understand the real situation of the victims. I have been able to document the lived narratives of the victims and their heart-touching stories which I have made available to everyone in the form of a final report and an infographic video. ”
Anuja Sapkota, Ph.D. in Transitional Justice and Reconciliation, Researcher, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE PROCESS OF NEPAL: NARRATIVES OF THE VICTIMS
“My deep gratitude to the IPRA Foundation for the research grant which provided the resources for me to carry out a follow up fieldwork on the gender aspect of the environmental conflict in the oil communities in the Niger Delta. The IPRAF research grant helped me to extend the fieldwork to four Niger Delta States, and to generate extensive data for my book project. It provided me with the primary data to undertake the Landhaus fellowship residency at the Rachel Carson Centre for Environment and Society, Ludwig Maximillian University, Munich, Germany as well as some of the research data for the Afox fellowship in the Merton College and African Studies Centre, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. ”
Abosede Omowumi Babatunde, Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University if Ilorin, Nigeria, Visiting Research Fellow, African Studies Centre, University of Oxford
WOMEN, ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING IN EXTRACTIVE COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA'S OIL-RICH NIGER DELTA
“The generous IPRA Foundation grant allowed me to fulfil my long delayed academic quest of engaging and interacting with diverse categories of post-colonial Zimbabwe’s unrecognised and disregarded victims of politically motivated violence. Overall, my study shines the spotlight on Zimbabwean political victims’ experiences, expectations and meaning making in situations where their victimhood was ignored. ”
Terence M. Mashingaidze, Ph.D. in History, Senior Lecturer, Department of History, Heritage and International Studies, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe
ZIMBABWE’S DISREGARDED VICTIMS AND THE PITFALLS OF STATE-CENTRED PEACEBUIDLING INTERVENTIONS IN AFRICA, 1980-2017
“The Nonviolent Peaceforce conducted field research to explore three potential pilot project sites for our large-scale unarmed international “peace army”: Guatemala, Israel/Palestine, and Sri Lanka. Researchers presented their findings at the Peaceforce Convening Event in India, where 130 international delegates picked Sri Lanka for the Peaceforce Pilot Project”
Mel Duncan, USA
NONVIOLENT PEACEFORCE PILOT STUDY
“The IPRAF’s support for research on peace and conflict resolution allowed me to develop new insights on the role of economic elements in solving conflicts. Thanks to IPRAF grant, I was able to access valuable information sources, conduct interviews with key players, and perform a more comprehensive research.”
Svetlana Luca, Moldova
CASE STUDY ON CONFLICT EVOLUTION AND IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT
“The IPRAF small grant helped The Latin America Council for Peace Research (CLAIP) to publish the book that was result of a meeting with indigenous leaders from all the Americas, emphasizing the nonviolent conflict resolution of traditional societies. Besides five book presentations in Mexico, there was one in Buenos Aires, in the USA and in Canada with a personal link to the Senate in Argentina and further with the Ministry of Social Affairs in Chile. As a result, in both countries, two indigenous laws were developed, followed with one more in Columbia and in Venezuela. Finally, in Bolivia, where the President got the book personally and used it in his campaign for consolidating indigenous rights and participation, today there exists in the Congress an important indigenous representation to care for their rights.
In academic terms, the consolidation with the Canadian University of Quebec and the organization of the Innu indigenous gave birth to different visits and interchanges and this year to the organization of a common theme in the XXXII Encounter of the Network of Urban Researchers (RNIU, in Spanish).
For IPRA, it was the first book written by a Southern Regional Association dealing with issues related to peace-building, conflict resolution and prevention in a subcontinent threatened by climate change, resource access, drug war and public insecurity.”
Úrsula Oswald Spring, Mexico
PROCESSES OF NON-VIOLENCE IN LATIN AMERICA
“The IPRA Foundation grant has provided a very timely boost to our action research on conflict sensitivity for religious organizations in Mindanao, Philippines. For instance, the Davao Ministerial Interfaith Inc. recently hosted an IPRAF-funded workshop which brought together 15 Roman Catholic, (Protestant) Evangelical and Muslim leaders from 3 provinces to explore and document how religious leaders are using the Do No Harm / Local Capacities for Peace conflict sensitivity tool. This workshop was a key step toward next year’s publication of findings, and a major contribution to the religious leaders’ own capacity building.”
Michelle G. Garred
PhD Candidate, Richardson Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Lancaster University
Visiting Affiliate, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
CONFLICT SENSITIVITY FOR MULTI-FAITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN MINDANAO
“My work on (1) mediation and reconciliation of bloodfeuds and (2) the cross-border Balkans Peace Park have been aided by IPRA sponsorship, and presentation of work in progress at Calgary 2007 now resulting in articles:
1. (co-authored with Mentor Mustafa), “Feud Narratives: Contemporary Deployments of Kanun in Shala Valley, Northern Albania,” Anthropological Notebooks (Slovenia), pp. 87-l07. (http://www.drustvo-antropologov.si/pregled_letnikov_eng.html).
2. “Establishing the Balkans Peace Park (Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo/a). Overcoming Conflicts through Negotiation on Cross-border Environmental Protection,” Central and East European Review, Issue 2. (www.ceer.org.uk)”
Antonia Young, U.K.
Research Associate, Dept. So/An, Colgate University
Honorary Research Fellow, Univ. of Bradford, UK
Former Chair – Balkans Peace Park Committee UK
NORTHERN ALBANIAN TRIBAL SYSTEMS: AN HISTORICAL STUDY OF ETHNIC IDENTITY FORMATION AND CONFLICT IN THE SHALA RIVER VALLEY
“We invite applicants from Mindanao, youths and adults from tri-peole -Muslims, Christians and tribal people and those who qualify go to NIU for a one-month training on peace, mediation and conflict resolution. After the training, they go back to Mindanao and do their small projects on peace in their respective communities. After three months, we assemble them for a follow-on activity where they discussed success stories as well as problems encountered in their communities.
The program was responsible for the establishment of a network of youths and adults in Mindanao for peace and development. Indeed, the Buddy Buddy for Peace was like a Pandora’s box that paved the way for a lot of activities and opportunities for the youth and adults in Mindanao on interfaith dialogue as well as other peoples of the world. Those interested to know more about it can log to:http://www.ceas.niu.edu/PhilAccess/default.htm ”
Nagasura T. Madale, Ph.D.
In-country project coordinator Access Philippines
BUDDY BUDDY FOR PEACE
“I am very grateful to the IPRA Foundation for contributing to our Creative Response to Bullying Program in the United States. We were able to see linkages between bias and bullying behavior and show a decrease in detention rates when students and staff received CRC’s bullying prevention workshops.”
Priscilla Prutzman, Executive Director
Creative Response to Conflict
Nyack, New York, USA
PROGRAM EVALUATION: CREATIVE RESPONSES TO BULLYING AND BIAS
“I found the small peace research grant very useful as it gives opportunities to peacemakers to invest energies towards expanding the field of the peace research, especially young peace researchers has a lot to benefit from such funding opportunities. It is too early for me to talk about the impact of my research under the IPRA Foundations’ Small Peace Research Grant, as my paper is yet to be published and I am hoping to present that next year in at least one of the international conferences.
My paper on “Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA): lessons from Pakistan” was presented at the panel on “Conflict resolution, reconstruction, and peace-building across Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan” on 7th February 2009, as part of the World Conference of Humanitarian Studies-2009, in Groningen, The Netherlands. To be a part of this conference, I was among the very participants who were fully funded to present their groundbreaking research.
Currently, the paper is under review to be published in the next issue of the Peace & Conflict Review, a peer reviewed journal of the UN mandated University of Peace, Costa Rica.
I am indebted to IPRAF for supporting my research in Pakistan.”
Zahid Shahab Ahmed
PhD Scholar, University of New England, Australia
PEACE AND CONFLICT IMPACT ASSESSMENT (PICA): THE ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS IN PAKISTAN
“The IPRA Foundation grant helped me turn my project into a reality. It allowed me to go and meet with investigative journalism trainers and journalists who were doing amazing work post-conflict in the Arab region. In turn, I was able to identify the challenges and opportunities facing Arab investigative journalists, in order to produce a set of recommendations to assist them towards their journey forwards in the pursuit of a democratic Arab sphere. The grant went towards the first stage of the project, which has already resulted in securing a book contract towards the publication of the findings of the study. I am grateful for IPRAF for providing me with this opportunity and for funding projects that need to be researched.”
Dr. Saba Bebawi
Lecturer Journalism, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
DEMOCRACY BUILDING IN POST CONFLICT REGIONS: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM TRAINING POST ARAB SPRING
“We are very grateful to the IPRA foundation for the grant that enabled us to do research on how changing narratives about conflict can help reduce conflict and encourage peaceful resolution. We were able to conduct studies with Jewish and Palestinian Israelis, Americans, and Turkish Kurds in the context of different conflicts. This research would not have been possible without the generous support from the IPRA Foundation. Most importantly, consistent results indicate that putting forward new narratives about conflicts can help play a critical role in reducing conflict and encouraging peaceful conflict resolution. ”
Dr. Bernhard Leidner, Germany, and Levi Adelman, USA
Asst Professor, Psychology of Peace and Violence Program
Department of Psychology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
UNDERSTANDING AND ALLEVIATING COMPETITIVE VICTIMHOOD TO PROMOTE INTERGROUP CONFLICT RESOLUTION: A FIELD-EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF CAUSES OF COMPETITIVE VICTIMHOOD AND AN INTERVENTION TO COUNTER IT
“My research on gendering peace process in Kashmir could only have been made possible due to the IPRA Foundation grant. The grant helped me to conduct field research in Kashmir and collect relevant data. The research offered insights on how discourses on conflict and peace in a protracted conflict situation are shaped by patriarchal social order and how both men and women reinforce that social order. The findings of the research would be relevant for theories of gender, conflict and peace and their intersections and for policy making towards making peace process gender sensitive.”
Seema Shekahawat, Ph.D., Univ. of Jammu, India
Independent Researcher, Social Scientist
Jaipur, India
PEACE PROCESS IN KASHMIR: WHERE ARE WOMEN?
“The IPRA Foundation’s generous financial support helped me realize the most crucial element of my research project: the fieldwork component. Carrying out such a research project in remote locations in Colombia is by no means an easy feat, logistically or financially, however with the funds provided from this grant, I was able to conduct all the necessary archival and ethnographic research necessary in various locations throughout this South American country without problem. Furthermore, the research findings which this grant helped produce have become the basis for a much larger research project with an expanded focus throughout numerous highly contested regions in rural Colombia. I owe the IPRA Foundation my sincerest gratitude for helping me with this endeavor.”
Charles Larratt-Smith, Ph.D., Political Science, University of Toronto, Canada
ECHAR LENA AL FUEGO: SEMI-GOVERNED SPACES AND THE PROLIFERATION OF VIOLENCE IN COLOMBIA
“The money I received from the IPRA Foundation helped me get a larger fieldwork project off the ground in Rwanda. The results from this fieldwork are now an integral part of my PhD dissertation. I am sincerely grateful to IPRAF for providing the initial seed funding to start this research. Without your initial support, I would not have been able to find further donors.”
Leander Heldring, Ph.D., Economics, Oxford University, UK
STATE CAPACITY AND INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES: EVIDENCE FROM RWANDA
“Sincere thanks to the International Peace Research Association Foundation for the funding support that was instrumental in the completion of my research! This grant helped me reach members from two highly understudied minorities – Dalits (so-called lower castes) and Muslims – in the under-researched context of India, and contribute to the scarce research on minority-minority relations from a much-needed intersectional perspective.”
Rashmi Nair, Ph.D, Social Psychology, Clark University, MA, USA, Teaching Assistant, Clark University
PEACE AND CONFLICT BETWEEN MINORITIES: UNDERSTANDING DALIT-MUSLIM RELATIONS IN INDIA
“I thank the IPRA Foundation for its support of my project on creating a dataset of violent events during the civil war in Mozambique. The support was crucial for receiving a larger grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) to study the consequences of state-militia relations for political order, and has also led to collaborations with other researchers to extend the data collection effort for Mozambique. This will contribute a lot to the historiography of the Mozambican war and the study of armed conflict more generally.”
Corinna Jentzsch, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Institute of Political Science, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
THE EVOLUTION OF VIOLENCE DURING MOZAMBIQUE’S CIVIL WAR (1976-1992)
“I am sincerely grateful for the generosity of the IPRA Foundation in selecting my project as the Foundation’s recipient of the Small Peace Research Grant in 2016. Winning the grant allowed me to conduct ethnographic fieldwork and archival research in understanding the important phenomenon of community-led peace zones and bottom-up peacebuilding as part of my dissertation research. Through my time in the field with the support of the IPRA Foundation, I am now in the process of writing two scholarly articles for submission to peer-reviewed journals on the field of peacebuilding and political geography. Thank you, IPRA Foundation!”
Nerve Valerio Macaspac, Ph.D Candidate in Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
INSURGENT PEACE: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF PEACEMAKING AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN SAGADA, PHILIPPINES
“The research grant from IPRAF was a huge encouragement to me as I sought to bring my peace research project across the finish line. The funding allowed me to greatly expand my archival searches and I ultimately obtained over 1,000 separate film clips and photos that helped me bring an amazing story of peace to life in the form of a documentary film. IPRAF was great to work with as they were easy to communicate with and their requirements were always very clear.”
Matthew Eddy, Ph.D, Director, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah, USA,
A BOLD PEACE – DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT COSTA RICAN DEMILITARISM
“I am deeply grateful to IPRAF for the grant that enabled me to conduct my doctoral research. It would have been impossible for me to interview 147 respondents in a war zone where safe transportation and accommodation are expensive without it. Although the protracted conflict I researched in Congo-Kinshasa is very complex, I am optimistic that my research, which focused on people’s grassroots experiences, perceptions and images of the conflict and peacebuilding, will contribute towards establishing sustainable peace and security in Eastern Congo and the neighbouring nations. I will always be grateful to the IPRA Foundation.”
Evelyn Namakula Mayanja, Ph.D Candidate, Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada, Research Assistant
PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES, PERCEPTIONS AND IMAGES OF CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING IN SOUTH KIVU, EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
“The support I received from the IPRA Foundation proved invaluable to my PhD research in a field for which there are few funding opportunities. The funding enabled me to investigate humanitarian negotiations with armed groups in Yemen and Myanmar, and explore broader links to addressing peace and conflict in each country. The Foundation’s light touch made it quick and easy to adapt my research when circumstances required it.”
Ashley Jonathan Clements, Ph.D Candidate, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
ADVANCING HUMANITARIAN NEGOTIATIONS WITH ARMED GROUPS: LESSONS FROM MYANMAR AND YEMEN
“I am extremely grateful on many fronts for IPRA Foundation support. The IPRA Foundation grant was an important part of enabling us to carry out our survey experiment in Jos, Nigeria on the role of ethnic identities in shaping perceptions of local communal violence. The grant helped support the technical aspects of the project and collection of a large dataset that will yield a series of papers, and it also supported the hiring of 18 Muslim and Christian research assistants who themselves experienced a transformation in the course of the research—building friendships and breaking down stereotypes across inter-religious lines.”
Laura Vinson, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of International Affairs, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
PERCEPTION OF CONFLICT AND PATHWAYS TO PEACE: UNDERSTANDING INCIDENT FRAMING IN JOS, NIGERIA
“The IPRA Foundation grant helped me to bring to light what exiled women are contributing to the peace process in Myanmar at a critical time in the country’s transformation. The Women’s League of Burma provides a powerful example of diaspora peacebuilding at a time when refugees are often seen as security threats or a burden to host countries. My book Refugees as Transnational Activists: Women Building Bridges for Social Change is much enriched by the IPRA Foundation funded research I conducted in Myanmar.”
Anna Snyder, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution Studies, Menno Simons College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
REFUGEES AS TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVISTS: WOMEN’S LEAGUE OF BURMA BUILDING BRIDGES FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
“I am so grateful to the Foundation for the grant that enabled me to undertake the fieldwork for my PhD thesis “A Study about Collective Music Programmes as Spaces for the Rebuilding of the Social Fabric in Communities Subject to Armed Conflicts in Colombia”. Thanks to this support I was able to finish my research that will help administrators of musical projects improve their work for peacebuilding in Colombia.”
Andrea Del Pilar Rodriguez Sanchez, Ph.D, UNESCO Chair of Philosophy for Peace, Institute for Social Development, Jaume I University, Spain
A STUDY ABOUT COLLECTIVE MUSIC PROGRAMMES AS SPACES FOR THE REBUILDING OF THE SOCIAL FABRIC IN COMMUNITIES SUBJECT TO ARMED CONFLICTS IN COLOMBIA
“The IPRA Foundation provided me with an excellent opportunity to engage my PhD research on the crisis of belonging and peacebuilding in Nigeria. Thorough review of the research proposal and the financial grant shaped my study in innumerable ways, allowing me to extend the scope to include other participants and settings that were not in the initial plan. In so doing, I acquired rich and comprehensive material on different idealizations of land and ethnographies of peace that can be useful for thinking about negotiating space and building inclusive and egalitarian societies in the postcolony.”
Benjamin Maiangwa, Ph.D Candidate, Peace and Conflict Studies, Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, St Paul’s College, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, Instructor at Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology
RETHINKING INDIGENEITY IN POSTCOLONIAL AFRICA: NOMADISM, AUTOCHTHONISM, AND ETHNOGRAPHIES OF PEACE AND CONFLICT IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
“Support from the IPRAF was invaluable for the completion of this research. The grant allowed me to conduct two field research trips to interview political and economic elites regarding post-conflict institutional reforms in Burundi and Rwanda and their effect on the peace process. In addition to the completion of this research project, this fieldwork uncovered evidence for further research. I am grateful to the IPRAF for its continued support for research that advances our collective knowledge of peace processes.”
Michael E. Jones, Ph.D Candidate, Department of Political Science, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
BREWING PEACE IN THE HILLS OF AFRICA: POST-CONFLICT INSTITUTIONS IN COMPARISON
“The IPRAF grant supported a valuable case study about the imagination of peace, as practised by the Tel Aviv based NGO Zochrot, for whose vision of peace the Return of Palestinian refugees is central. The case study also enabled conceptual inquiry into the significance of imagining peace as a political practice in protracted conflicts. In addition to research, the funds also supported the development of a prototype for a workshop to train peacebuilders to develop their skills of imagining peace.”
Jon Simons, Ph.D, Political Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
IMAGINING JUSTPEACE IN ISREAL/PALESTINE: ZOCHROT AND THE ACTIVE IMAGINATION OF RETURN
“The support from the IPRA Foundation enabled me to conduct a research project on women's participation in anti-government movements for peace and justice. The grant provided an opportunity to conduct field research in North Macedonia and to learn from the activists who made a decisive contribution to toppling an increasingly autocratic political leadership. The grant will help me to disseminate the findings through publications and presentations and to promote the principles of equality, justice, inclusiveness, democracy, and respect. I am particularly appreciative of the role that the IPRA Foundation plays in supporting PhD students and Early Career Researchers.”
Elena Spasovska, Ph.D, International Relations, University of South Australia, Teaching Staff
WOMEN'S AGENCY AND THE USE OF NONVIOLENT STRATEGIES IN THE PURSUIT FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA
“This research project could not have been realised without the generous support of the IPRA Foundation, for which I am profoundly grateful. Particularly, I want to thank the Foundation for their consideration, flexibility and continued support during the Covid-19 pandemic, which required significant changes in the methodology of this project.
This grant enabled me to complete ethnographic fieldwork in Rwanda, with young people born from sexual violence and their families. Data was gathered through participant observation and in-depth interviews, as well as through the remote collection of written testimonies of genocide and reconciliation. While this grant from the IPRA Foundation meant a lot to me, I believe that it meant even more to the people who participated in this research. On multiple occasions, the participants expressed to me that being given a platform to share their stories, being offered a listening ear and an interest in their lived experiences, made a real difference in their lives. This is where the importance and real contribution of this grant truly lies.”
Loes Loning, Ph.D, Social Anthropology, International Development Professional, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Research Consultant, University of Cape Town, South Africa
GENERATION AFTER: THE RECONSTITUTION OF KINSHIP AND FAMILY RELATIONS IN EVERYDAY POST-GENOCIDE RWANDA
“I am grateful to IPRA Foundation for providing me with the funding to do research on the effectiveness of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus. The research results have been disseminated in Cyprus and internationally, which I expect will have an impact on the operations of the Committee itself, but also other institutions that have been inspired by it, all over the world.”
Nasia Hadjigeorgiou, Ph.D, Law, Assistant Professor in Transitional Justice and Human Rights, University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus
ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON MISSING PERSONS IN BUILDING PEACE IN CYPRUS
“Finding support for peacebuilding-related research is often hard to find, particularly if the focus is on comparative work between international models and community experience in the United States. I am so appreciative for the support I received from the IPRA Foundation to explore how to approach the engagement of stakeholders in police reform efforts following prolonged community conflict. With the COVID crisis, I was worried the entire project would be paused due to restrictions on travel, but not only was I able to interview participants virtually, but was able to double my pilot sample size. I plan to use my rich dataset to form the basis of upcoming presentations at national conferences focused on criminal justice and peace studies, as well as engage students in qualitative methods training. In addition, I now have a strong platform to use for applications to other funding sources to extend my work. For a qualitative researcher working on community peacebuilding in the United States, this grant has been foundational for setting the stage for the next phase of my mid-career scholarly development.”
Jess Bonnan-White, Ph.D, Anthropology, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Stockton University, Galloway, NJ, USA
CREATING CHANGE FROM WITHIN: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF POLICING ACTORS IN BUILDING POST-CONFLICT COMMUNITY PEACE
“The IPRA Foundation Peace Research grant facilitated the possibility of visiting four different archives relevant to my PhD research, over two different visits. I am indebted to IPRAF for this opportunity, and am certain that my doctorate will reap many benefits from such access to primary sources. I am also grateful to the IPRAF for their kindness and understanding, and their flexibility with timelines, as this project was undertaken during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. I wish the IPRAF and all future grantees every success!.”
Peter Cousins, Ph.D Candidate, Social Sciences (Culture of Peace), University of Granada, (Institute for Peace and Conflict Research), Spain
THE INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION (IFOR) AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO CIVILIAN DIPLOMACY
“The support I received from the IPRA Foundation enabled me to carry out extensive fieldwork for my PhD research. Since my research is in an under-funded field, this grant providing me with the unique opportunity to collect data through in-depth interviews with grassroots actors.”
Nisan Alici, Ph.D Researcher, School of Law, Ulster University, Transitional Justice Institute, Belfast, Ireland
TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN AN ONGOING CONFLICT: A VICTIM-CENTERED ANALYSIS OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE MECHANISMS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE KURDISH CONFLICT
“IPRAF's funding coincided with the need for this study. During our research assessing the risk of violent extremism (VE) in Uganda, suicide bombings occurred in Kampala on October 10 and 13, and November 16. The attacks have been attributed to Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), now classified as a terrorist group with ties to IS and operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Indeed, our study showed how vulnerable the communities at risk of VE. Those who are lured or involved in extremist activities usually suffer from several vulnerabilities (inadequate education, health, livelihoods, unemployment, poverty, etc.). The corroboration of our findings with the events (suicide bombings) emphasizes the importance of peace research in developing preventive approaches for a sustainable and peaceful world. In particular, the role of soft approaches in addressing the underlying driver of VE. We shared our findings with local authorities and during the second annual regional research conference on preventing and countering VE held by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)’s Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering VE (ICEPCVE) in Mombasa, Kenya (15-17th December 2021). In addition, we are pleased to be working with IGAD (ICEPCVE) on another paper focused on the local government response to VE during COVID-19. Without IPRAF's funding, we could not have explored these realities, established partnerships and be working on a paper for publication. Thank you, IPRAF for funding this important and context-sensitive study in advancing means for a peaceful Uganda and world.”
Lino Ika, Ph.D in Public Policy, Educator (Lecturer), Researcher and Development Worker at the Dept. of Governance, Peace and International Studies (School of Arts and Sciences), Uganda Martyrs University, Uganda
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE RISK OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM IN UGANDA
“I cannot express how grateful and humbled I am to have been offered the IPRA Foundation funding. It would be an understatement to say that it was a crucial support for my PhD research.
My research is focused on a subject that is both understudied and largely disregarded by academia, making it even more significant in the sense that it aims to unwrap a social movement that is one of the main actors in the disputed Kashmir region. With the aid of the IPRA Foundation, I will not only be able to communicate my research findings with the key stakeholders, but this work will hopefully contribute to expanding understanding and critical knowledge on the ongoing Kashmir conflict.
As a research scholar from a marginalized community in the global South with limited funding and working on a subject with security risks, IPRA Foundations funding enabled me to utilise additional resources to access crucial data that would otherwise be inaccessible or difficult. Even though I started my fieldwork at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic had paralysed much of the human world and it had become difficult to conduct any kind of field studies, I was not only able to extend my fieldwork period without fear of budget constraints, but the grant further allowed me to seek remote assistance for continuing my research.”
Haris Amin Zargar, Ph.D Candidate, Development Studies, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Hague, The Netherlands, Contributing Writer on Politics, Security, Humanitarianism and Social Sector with a focus on the South Asian region, New Frame, Johannesburg, South Africa
INTERFACE BETWEEN LAND REFORM AND POLITICAL ISLAM: A CASE STUDY OF KASHMIR'S AGRARIAN REFORMS OF 1950-1975
“The IPRA Foundation research grant gave me the opportunity to empirically study an area of work that I have been very passionate about for a very long time. I am so grateful that I could collect qualitative data and better understand the importance of freedom of speech in a country that restricts the rights of citizens to speak their mind about anything and everything. The work does not stop here, we have long to go before we see peace emerge but this is a good start! Gratitude to the IPRA Foundation for making it happen, even in the midst of a global pandemic!”
Paidamoya Chikate, Ph.D Candidate, Evaluation Studies and Data Analytics, Graduate Intern, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
ZIMBABWE, THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO PEACEFULLY PROTEST AND THE ELIMINATION OF DISSENTING VOICES: AN ANALYSIS OF PEACEFUL APPROACHES TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH
“It would not have been possible to conduct my research abroad without the IPRA Foundation. I had a great experience while I was collecting data in Germany and my research inspired me to conduct more studies. I’d like to thank the IPRA Foundation for supporting researchers who focus on oppression.”
Helin Unal, Ph.D, Social Psychology, Teaching Assistant, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA
EXAMINING THE COMPLEXITY OF COLLECTIVE VICTIM BELIEFS IN THE CONTEXT OF KURDISH DIASPORA: IMPLICATIONS FOR ATTITUDES TOWARDS PEACE AND CONFLICT
“The financial support from the IPRA Foundation is very much appreciated. It enabled me to explore the local water conflicts and the role of collective action in conflict mitigation under decentralized water governance in rural Uganda. The transdisciplinary nature of the research process and methods facilitated stakeholder participation at all levels of the research and the results have been well received by policymakers and practitioners. The research has advised policymakers, donors, and NGOs on the need to develop robust conflict resolution mechanisms and incorporate peacebuilding in water development processes at all levels of governance. The publications developed from this research will contribute greatly to my career growth and also impact policy and practice in Uganda and beyond. Thank you IPRA Foundation!”
Resty Naiga, Ph.D. in Social and Economic Sciences, Senior Lecturer and Head, Department of Development Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
ADDRESSING COMMUNITY-BASED WATER CONFLICTS THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTION
“I am very grateful to the IPRA Foundation for the grant for my research entitled ‘The Project name: Women in Intra-/Inter-Ethnic Conflicts and Peacemaking: The Case of Borana Women in Southern Oromiyaa, Ethiopia’. The grant enabled me to thoroughly conduct the dissertation work. Thanks to the IPRA Foundation grant, I was able to access valuable information and sources, conduct interviews and document analysis as well as focus group discussions. Since southern Oromiyaa, Ethiopia was adversely affected by drought, climate and conflict, the living cost was extremely expensive. This foundation has immensely contributed and helped me in doing my research work at ease.”
Tesfaye Gudeta Gerba, Ph.D. Candidate in Peace and Development Studies, Haramaya University, Ethiopia
WOMEN IN INTRA-/INTER-ETHNIC CONFLICTS AND PEACEMAKING: THE CASE OF BORANA WOMEN IN SOUTHERN OROMIYAA ETHIOPIA
"I am sincerely grateful for the generous support of the International Research Peace Association Foundation for my dissertation research "Agents of Peace: The Lived Experiences of Teachers Working Amidst Forced Displacement and Protracted Conflict in South Sudan and Uganda". The Peace Research Grant enabled me to conduct this research with refugee and national teachers in Uganda and South Sudan, and elevate the voices of educators working amidst protracted conflict, forced displacement, and recurrent migration. My research advocates for more equitable recognition and representation of educators working in some of the most challenging settings. Listening to and learning from teachers working amidst protracted conflict, forced displacement, and recurrent migration provides an opportunity to not only better support these educators, but also to broaden our thinking on how we support teachers all over the world who have now found themselves teaching amidst the crisis of the Covid-19 health pandemic. IPRAF and the Peace Research Grant team were incredibly supportive and flexible throughout my dissertation research -- truly understanding what it means to conduct research in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. I am humbled to be among the incredible scholars supported by this work!”
Danielle Falk, Ph.D. Candidate in Comparative and International Education, Columbia University, Teacher’s College, Concentration: Multi-Disciplinary – Sociology and Anthropology, Graduate Research Assistant, New York, USA
AGENTS OF PEACE: THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS WORKING AMIDST FORCED DISPLACEMENT AND PROTRACTED CONFLICT IN SOUTH SUDAN AND UGANDA
"IPRA Foundation Peace Research Grant allowed me to explore a new research topic that has been significant for the understanding and investigation of my broader research area of Communication for Development in Peacebuilding. It has also enabled me to document an important experience that can be used to learn more about peace-related interventions using the media.”
Valentina Baú, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, ARC DECRA, Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), Western Sydney University
UNDERSTANDING THE LINK BETWEEN MEDIA, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PEACE WITH PALESTINIAN YOUTH
"I sincerely thank the IPRA Foundation for their support and generosity. Funding opportunities for research in spaces of conflict are few and without the generous grant from IPRAF I would have been unable to complete my PhD research. The Peace Research grant helped me immensely to conduct ethnographic fieldwork in the region of India-occupied Kashmir. I’d also like to thank the IPRAF staff members for handling the year-long communication with such care and patience. Grateful to be part of the IPRAF community!”
Ekta Oza, Ph.D. Scholar, School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London
GROWING UP IN CONFLICT: EXPERIENCES, FRIENDSHIPS AND PLAY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN KASHMIR
"I am grateful to the IPRA Foundation grant for supporting my project and fieldwork during a very difficult period marred with conflict vulnerabilities as well as the pandemic disruptions. It was not just the funding support but the feedback at the proposal level that helped me critically rethink and publish my research. I am hopeful that this work, alongside another forthcoming journal paper supported by this grant, will make a profound contribution in the field of memory, human rights and transitional justice. What especially stood out for me is the level of flexibility and support that IPRAF offered when my project faced some hurdles and I see it as a testament of real solidarity and hope that many others continue to benefit from such support just as I did.”
Mudasir Amin, Ph.D., Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jammu and Kashmir
PERFORMANCE OF MEMORY IN A CONFLICT ZONE: THE FUTURE OF/FOR TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN KASHMIR
"The IPRA Foundation peace research grant supported my project on the ties between ecocide and speciesism. Drawing on environmental law, criminal law, animal law, critical legal theory, green criminology, and peace studies, I examined how uncritical notions of hierarchy (shaped by speciesism and anthropocentrism) drive environmental harms and how these impact our notions of violence and nonviolence. My work materialized in several book chapters, journal articles and book reviews, in numerous conference presentations, in several courses I taught on environmental crimes and peace/conflict, in my ongoing Ecocide/Speciesism symposium, and in creative work, including poems, photo series, drawings, and multimedia collaborations. Grateful to the IPRAF team for believing in my work, as well as for their flexibility and compassion during these past years which have been particularly difficult for me personally and professionally.”
Rimona Afana, Ph.D., Transitional Justice, Romania/Palestine, Researcher
ECOCIDE/SPECIESISM: REVISITING POSITIVE PEACE IN THE ANTHROPOCENE
"We are immensely grateful for the IPRAF support with a grant to pilot our research. The support was highly valuable and instrumental in conducting evidence-based research on addressing the barriers to reintegration, improving affected communities. including victims' wellbeing and fostering peaceful co-existence through the use of psychosocial interventions.”
Tarela Ike, Ph.D., Philosophy, Criminology and Law, Senior Research Fellow, Coal City University, Enugu, Nigeria
GROUP-INTEGRATED COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY TO AIR REINTEGRATION OF FORMER TERRORISTS IN NIGERIA: A RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL
"I'm sincerely grateful to the IPRA Foundation for funding my research through its small grants programme. Securing a grant is often a problem for researchers here in my country but the IPRA Foundation has helped to surmount this challenge. With this head start, I'm hoping to secure more grants to expand this research, and for pending researches.”
Angela Ajodo-Adebanjoko, Ph.D. in International Relations. Professor of International Relations, Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for African Studies, National Open University of Nigeria
THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN MITIGATING HERDER-FARMER CONFLICT IN NORTHCENTRAL NIGERIA
"The support from the IPRA Foundation was invaluable to my research on the role of Turkish teachers in promoting peace and social cohesion through the inclusion of refugee students in public schools. Their commitment to fostering peace through scholarly research enabled me to explore critical educational practices that contribute to social harmony in conflict-affected settings. The Foundation’s backing not only provided essential resources but also affirmed the importance of educational research in building a more peaceful and inclusive world. I am deeply grateful for their support and encouragement throughout this project.”
Yesim Hanci-Kaya, Ph.D. Candidate in Comparative and International Education, Sociology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, Education Coordinator, Save the Children, Istanbul, Turkey
THE ROLE OF TURKISH TEACHERS IN PROMOTING PEACE AND SOCIAL COHESION THROUGH THE INCLUSION OF REFUGEE STUDENTS IN TURKISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
"I am extremely grateful to IPRAF for the grant that supported my exploration of the wisdom, role, challenges, and resilience of the institution of Abegar in addressing conflicts and promoting peace in Wollo, Ethiopia. The support from the IPRA Foundation was instrumental in enabling me to gather rigorous data necessary for a critical examination of the immense contribution of indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms in the dynamic socio-economic and political landscapes. This project, funded by the IPRA Foundation, has broadened my perspective and inspired me to design research projects focused on local knowledge, in such a way ultimately contributing to societal improvement.”
Mohammed Yimam Endris, Ph.D. in Political Science and International Studies, Assistant Professor, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
THE TRANSFORMATION, CHALLENGES, AND RESILIENCE OF MECHANISMS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION: THE CASE OF ABEGAR IN NORTH EASTERN ETHIOPIA