Joakim Öjendal and Ashok Swain open the conference
On 5-6 May 2011, 65 participants met for two intense days in Gothenburg. First of all, a great thank you is due to presenters, speakers, chairs and commentators, and of course to our volunteer master students who helped to make the operation smooth!
In line with the aims of the network, the conference opened up a contact space for junior and senior researchers and PhD candidates. All in all 24 papers were presented. Umeå university, Uppsala university, Mid Sweden University, University of Gothenburg, Stockholm University, Lund University and Malmö University were all represented. Further, several representatives from policy organisations participated, also in line with the aims to establish contacts between policy makers and researchers. The International Advisory Board, currently representing networks of Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO) and Asian Political & International Studies Association (APISA) gave valuable input and opened many doors for further cooperation (see below for more on this issue). International speakers and keynoters gave thought-provoking input from the forefront of research.
The broad theme of the conference – “The Future of Peace Research – An Ever Broadening Agenda” was highlighted under the following themes:
• Securing Democracy – Democratizing Security (keynote speaker Assoc Professor Maria Stern, University of Gothenburg, Sweden)
• Conflict Prevention, Development and Poverty Reduction: Emerging Imperatives within Peace Research (keynote speaker Dr Cheryl Hendricks, Institute for Security Studies, South Africa)
• Post-Conflict Management: Reconstruction, Reconciliation or What? (keynote speaker Dr Nigel Eltringham, University of Sussex, U.K.)
• Global Climate Change: The Challenge for Peaceful Change (keynote speaker Dr Larry Swatuk University of Waterloo, Canada)
Get the Papers
The site where the papers were posted for the course of the conference has now been closed. If you would like a copy of any of the papers, please contact the writer directly in order to get a copy. Details on the content of panels, the participants and the programme can be found here.
Hear and See the Talks Again
The first day of the conference was opened by Professor Lene Hansen from Copenhagen University. She presented challenging ideas under the title of The Evolution of International Security Studies and the Role of Peace Research. Her talk was complemented by Mr Evariste Karambizi, manager of the UNITAR Peacekeeping Training Programme, building crucial bridges to the world of policy. He connected the themes brought up by Professor Hansen to pressing issues of today, such as the situation in the Ivory Coast, and discussed major challenges associated with contemporary peace operations.
The second day of the conference was opened by Professor Oliver Richmond, whose theme of Failed Statebuilding versus Peace Formation introduced new concepts and deeply resonated within the discussions of the panels.
For those of you who could not participate, take the great opportunity of seeing some of filmed talks which are broadcast on the University of Gothenburg´s website.
Publication from the Conference
Former conferences have resulted in the publication of an edited volume (see Publications), the volume from Nov 2009 conference due to be released in November 2011. Also from this workshop, there will be an international publication as from the other conferences.
Working Paper Series
The PCDRNET publishes a Working Papers in Peace, Conflict and Development Research. If you presented a paper at the conference (or at other conferences and workshops on topics that are of relevance to the network) and would like your paper to be considered for publication as a working paper, please send an e-mail to the Network Assistant Editor, Johanna Mannergren Selimovic.
The working paper series is available freely from the website and will be advertised through the website.
International Networking
Gladys Lechini, Hari Singh, Hamdy A. Hassan and Alfred Nhema of the International Advisory Board together with Ramses Amer (standing up) from the Steering Committee.
A lively and important discussion was initiated at the conference about the international networking of the PCDRNET. The stated aims and mandate of the PCDRNET is to build a national network, and indeed, over the last years a stable platform for interchange has been built up. However, a question emerged as to whether the network would become more outward-looking (beyond the chosen networks in the South). While no funding for that has been made available, it would of course be most welcome if cooperation with networks in other parts of the world could now be intensified. Useful suggestions were made on how to develop links to the networks represented by the International Advisory Board, such as exchange of PhD Students, shared projects and appointments of guest professors
This discussion is important. Please leave a comment below to share your ideas. They will feed directly into the ongoing analysis of the future of the PCDRNET. A network is nothing but the sum of its participants´ activities, so please engage!
Continued Funding?
The issue of funding was brought up in the discussion. To be clear, the network is partially funded until Dec 31 2011. After that date we will have to seek external funding (which we will). More external funding or not, we will keep the network up and running at some level.
All photos: © Arshaluys Mushkambaryan