How can we explain peace and conflict in the world? What do security and insecurity do to a region and its people? How do different kinds of violence affect people, and how do societies tackle crises – and the threat of crisis? The Peace Research Institute Oslo brings you expert opinions on the headlines, personal stories from the field, and cutting-edge research in this monthly podcast, hosted by Emmy-award winning journalist Arnaud Siad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info ...
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On April 29th at the World Economic Forum, Norway’s Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, delivered a striking critique of the so-called “West,” accusing his allies of a double standard in their handling of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. His remarks echoed growing criticism from the Global South, and highlighted the risk of eroding multilateral i…
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More armed conflicts took place in 2023 than in any other year since the end of World War II. That is the shocking finding in this year’s Conflict Trends Report – a yearly paper by the Peace Research Institute Oslo, using data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program and examining global conflict trends since 1946. In total, 59 armed conflicts raged …
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For decades, Norway has played a major role as a peacemaker. From the Nobel Peace Prize to the Oslo Accords, promoting peace has been a central aspect of Norwegian foreign policy. But this is only part of the story. Few outside the country are aware of the thriving, lucrative, and government-owned weapons industry in this Scandinavian nation. This …
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Women in Peace Mediation: The Israeli and Palestinian Women Working for Peace
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As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, two women's organizations are pushing for a return to negotiation and a permanent resolution to the conflict. “Women Wage Peace” is the largest grassroots peace movement in Israel, while its Palestinian counterpart, “Women of the Sun,” is a Palestinian women's organization based in Bethlehem. They ar…
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How Russians (Really) Feel about Putin and Ukraine
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As Russians headed to the polls this month, the reelection of Russian President Vladimir Putin was not in doubt. On March 17th, with over 87% of the votes in his favor, Putin secured a fifth term, becoming the longest-serving leader of the Federation since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. With most opposition candidates either dead, jailed, exiled, o…
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UNRWA in Crisis: A Conversation with Chief Lazzarini and Norway's State Secretary Kravik
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UNRWA is in trouble. The UN agency for Palestine Refugees is accused by Israel of being infiltrated by Hamas and having had some of its staff involved in the attacks on October 7th. Nearly 2 million people in Gaza depend on UNRWA for survival as war and displacement continue after nearly four months of war. The allegations by Israel concern a fract…
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Migration Trends in 2023: Stories From the Field with CNN’s Nima Elbagir
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From war-torn Ukraine and Sudan to the Mediterranean, 2023 marked yet another year where thousands were forced to leave their homes in pursuit of a better life. In one of the deadliest migrant boat tragedies, more than 600 people drowned on June 14 off the coast of Greece, after a fishing vessel known as the Adriana capsized and sank. A few months …
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The Targeting of Hospitals in Gaza and Beyond
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On November 15th, Israeli forces stormed al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, in search of a Hamas base. The facility sheltered hundreds of people: wounded civilians, children, and newborns. Soon after, the World Health Organization labeled the hospital a "death zone." Healthcare facilities enjoy special protections und…
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On November 15th, the world watched as a highly anticipated meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden took place amid the scenic backdrop of Woodside, California. From a controversial visit by a US House Speaker to Taiwan, to a Chinese spy balloon crossing the United States – the two countries’ relations have sunk to thei…
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Special Episode: The West's Response to the War in Gaza
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In the early hours of October 7, Palestinian militants with Hamas, the Islamic group that controls the Gaza Strip, mounted a stunning and highly coordinated invasion of Israel. They rampaged through Israeli towns, killing people in their homes, attacking young rave-goers, and taking some 200 hostages. The attacks by Hamas were horrific and gruesome…
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Afghanistan's Earthquakes: The Plight of Afghan Women
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In the early hours of October 7, a powerful earthquake shook Herat province in western Afghanistan. It was followed by multiple aftershocks and a second, strong earthquake on October 11. Entire villages across western Afghanistan have been destroyed and over a thousand people lost their lives. And out of the rubble and dust has emerged a shocking s…
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2023 Nobel Peace Prize: And the Winner Is…
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The announcement by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on the Peace Prize is an event highly anticipated each year by millions around the world. It’s easy to see why: the names of previous Nobel Peace Prize recipients include the likes of Malala Yousafzai, President Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, and the 14th Dalai Lama. So who will be the winner this ye…
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A Challenging Counteroffensive in Ukraine
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Eighteen months since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. US officials now report that the total number of troops from both sides killed or wounded since the war began is nearing half a million. A staggering toll, most of it paid by Russian troops, which outnumber Ukrainians almost three to one. Boosted by billion…
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Defying Hate: A Survivor's Account of the Pride Attack in Oslo
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A year ago, in the early hours of June 25, a gunman opened fire at three locations in the centre of Oslo, including at the London Pub, a longstanding fixture of the LGBTQ+ scene in the Norwegian capital. Espen Aleksander Evjenth was there dancing with his partner and his friends, when a bullet hit his head. Despite his severe wound, he miraculously…
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On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has extended his rule into a third decade, beating his rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in a bitter presidential race. The run-off victory caps an extraordinary campaign for Erdoğan who had hoped for a swift win. However, sky-rocketing inflation, a devastating earthquake and a united opposition left him vul…
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Special Episode: A Risky Evacuation in Sudan
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On April 15th, explosions and gunfire began to rock the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, with the paramilitaries and army accusing each other of attacking their respective bases. With two heavily armed groups squaring off in one of the most populated cities on the African continent, the United Nations has now issued a stark warning that the humanitari…
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Israel Turns 75: Is its Democracy at Risk?
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On April 25th, Israel marks 75 years of existence, commemorating the Declaration of Independence of 1948. But this year, amid the fireworks, military parades and flag-waving, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu will be on the lookout for disruptions and more protests. Recent proposals by Netanyahu's government - the most far-right in the history o…
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73 - Taking Away the Guns: How Does Disarmament Influence Peace and Conflict Dynamics?
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Disarmament, i.e. the collection of arms and ammunitions following civil wars, is aimed at preventing conflict recurrence and paving the way for peace. However, comprehensive disarmament of non-state actors is challenging and rare. In this episode, we look at the following questions: What is the relationship between disarmament of rebel groups and …
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72- Academic Fraud – How Much of a Problem Is It, and What Can Be Done To Stop It?
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Research is only valid and useful so long as the people doing it are honest. However, there many incentives for researchers to lie. This discussion looks at the following questions: What is academic fraud? How prevalent is it? What can be done to prevent fraud? It features a prominent investigator of academic fraud (Nick Brown), a researcher who ha…
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71- The New UN Climate Report: A Conversation with Lead Author Halvard Buhaug
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On 28 February, the IPCC, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, launched the second part of its Sixth Assessment Report. This part assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of …
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70- War by Other Means: The Crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The last few months in Bosnia have been marked by moves towards secession and a flare-up of ethnic tensions emanating from Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the Dayton Peace Agreement which put an end to the 3 ½-year-long Bosnian War. Commentators are describing the last few months as the worst poli…
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69- Jeffrey D. Sachs: PRIO Annual Peace Address
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Every year, PRIO holds its Annual Peace Address, inviting distinguished guests to reflect on how to contribute to the creation of a world in which violence is the exception and peace is the norm. In 2021 the peace address was given by Jeffrey D. Sachs with the title “Why we must avoid a new cold war and how to do it”. Sachs is a world-leading exper…
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Repost: 57- Energy and Power in the Eastern Mediterranean
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Scrambles for natural resources and struggles for power when such resources come to light are a frequent cause of international conflict and tension around the world. In the Eastern Mediterranean, recent discovery of hydrocarbon has only exacerbated existing tensions. This is a region that includes Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Pal…
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Repost: 60- Transformative Visual Storytelling in Conflict Research
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What is the transformative potential of visual storytelling in conflict research? In the project Societal Transformation in Conflict Contexts or (TRANSFORM), animations and comics were created in collaboration between researchers, activists, artists, writers, and many others. These pieces of art not only serve to inspire possible change, but also t…
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68- Academics and Activism: From Afghanistan to Australia
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When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, many academics found themselves in a desperate scramble. For female academics in particular, the threat of retaliation and loss of freedoms was ominous. Meanwhile, their colleagues and counterparts in other countries struggled to help them. Professor Jacqui True at Monash University managed to …
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In the 1980s, in what was then Northern Somalia, doctors, teachers, and other professionals lived out their ethics and ideals by restoring a hospital and responding to the needs of people in their community. Their actions were rewarded with arrests and imprisonment. This is the story of the Uffo group. In today’s podcast Mohamed Aden Hassan and Ebb…
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In 2020, 1.6 billion children were living in a conflict-ridden country. Approximately 452 million children – more than one in six – were living less than 50 km from where the actual fighting took place. For the last few years PRIO and Save the Children have collaborated on the Children in Conflict project which illuminates the number of children af…
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Hyper-masculine leaders have grabbed headlines in the last few years: Putin, Trump, Bolsonaro, Erdogan. All of them employ the rhetoric of masculinity in public discourse and ultimately, often, policy. It’s worth asking: is this a new trend, and what does it mean for the ones living in these countries, especially women and LGBTQ individuals? Johann…
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64- The Taliban's Rise, Fall, and Rise Again
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Before the Taliban regained control of the country this year, before they were the target and adversary of US military force, the Taliban were the governing force in Afghanistan. And before that, they were a transnational group of religious students. To give context to modern-day Afghanistan and the political developments there, PRIO researcher Kri…
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For some immigrants, acquiring citizenship in a new country is the final goal in a long journey of various residence statuses and times of uncertainty. But getting citizenship is not always the end of the story. From alienation through documentation, to having citizenship taken away, there can be other twists and turns even then. For immigrants wit…
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62- A Nobel Peace Prize for Journalism: PRIO Researchers Comment
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The Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 has been awarded to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, with the committee highlighting these journalists' efforts to safeguard freedom of expression. Maria Ressa is a Filipino-American journalist who has revealed abuse of power, violence, and authoritarianism in the Philippines. Dmitry Muratov is editor-in-chief of Novay…
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61- Nobel Peace Prize Shortlist 2021: Henrik Urdal's Picks
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With just one week left before the Nobel Peace Prize is announced, we take a look at PRIO Director Henrik Urdal's shortlist of possible candidates. Thank you to the many guests on this episode: Henrik Urdal, PRIO Director Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert, Research Director and Senior Researcher Carina Strøm Smith, Research Assistant Jonas Vestby, Senior Re…
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60- Transformative Visual Storytelling in Conflict Research
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What is the transformative potential of visual storytelling in conflict research? In the project Societal Transformation in Conflict Contexts or (TRANSFORM), animations and comics were created in collaboration between researchers, activists, artists, writers, and many others. These pieces of art not only serve to inspire possible change, but also t…
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On September 5th, 2021, the military in Guinea pulled off a coup against president alpha conde. The coup was led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, and since then the situation has been unclear, though the military remains in power. Many in Guinea welcomed the power change, while others condemn it – and the international community largely falls in the se…
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57- Energy and Power in the Eastern Mediterranean
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Scrambles for natural resources and struggles for power when such resources come to light are a frequent cause of international conflict and tension around the world. In the Eastern Mediterranean, recent discovery of hydrocarbon has only exacerbated existing tensions. This is a region that includes Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Pal…
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56- The Legacy of 9/11: "20 years past this, we're still at the beginning"
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Today marks 20 years since 9/11. In this episode four researchers share their reflections on what the effects of this event have been on global politics, security, and war. Related material Hva vi snakker om når vi snakker om digitaliseringens politikk – Mareile Kaufmann i samtale med Jan Grue in Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift (in Norwegian) Predictive Poli…
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In the last few years, technology has played a huge role in Myanmar’s politics and life in the last few years. Research Professor Stein Tønnesson explains how Facebook and Telenor in particular went wrong – and right – in the country, and what lasting effects those companies have had. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Just over seven months ago, on February 1st, 2021, the world witnessed a shockingly audacious military coup in Myanmar, in which the democratically elected National League for Democracy was deposed. Shortly after, PRIO researchers Marte Nilsen, Trude Stapnes, and Stein Tønnesson appeared in a podcast episode devoted to the coup. Today I’m talking a…
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The past week has been a shock for Afghanistan and the world watching. In a matter of days, the Taliban took over regional capitals one by one, entering Kabul on Sunday, August 15. How could this have happened? Was it foreseeable – and preventable? Research Professor Kristian Berg Harpviken shares some initial thoughts on today’s episode. Related m…
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52- Mixing Methods Without Making a Mess (Part 2)
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In the second of this two-parter, Jørgen Carling shares his tips for employing mixed methods in research. Related material Jørgen has made an overview of mixed methods examples in his own work, available on his personal website Mario Luis Small's overview on recent trends "How to Conduct a Mixed Methods Study: Recent Trends in a Rapidly Growing Lit…
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51- Mixing Methods Without Making a Mess (Part 1)
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Research methods inform how knowledge is gained. The methods a researcher uses are often at the core of how they think about the world. Increasingly, some researchers have tried mixing methods. But this approach to research, though often beneficial, can also be challenging. PRIO research professor Jørgen Carling shares what he has learned about usi…
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Repost: 35- Can Research Tell Us How to Talk About Racism?
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In the last few weeks a familiar subject matter has dominated headlines again: is structural racism an issue in the UK, Norway, France, and many other countries? Is this term, which is often situated in an American context, relevant to Europe and other parts of the world? PRIO Research Director Marta Bivand Erdal goes beyond the debate on whether o…
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Justice after a conflict is often part of peacebuilding, and can be an important part of addressing victims’ experiences. These post-conflict processes are called “transitional justice” and are well-studied. During-conflict justice is less understood. When governments use trials, truth commissions, exiles and other tools to address crimes, even whi…
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50- Ten Years After 22 of July: Memory and Memorialization
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Today marks the 10th anniversary of the bombing of the Oslo government quarters and the massacre on Utøya by terrorist Anders Behring Breivik. On the 22nd of July 2011, 77 people died, many more were injured and traumatized, and the effects of that event are still being felt today. This week, Kristin Sandvik and Ingeborg Hjorth talk about the memor…
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Repost: 19- Humans and War: Is It in Our Evolution?
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Have humans evolved psychological adaptations to war? That's what Henrikas Bartusevičius will look at in his cutting-edge research project "Adapted to War", funded by the European Research Council and hosted at PRIO. To answer this question, he’ll have to work across disciplines, conducting lab experiments and surveys. We discuss how he became inte…
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49- Rebuilding and Security After a Terrorist Attack: 22 July in Oslo
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On the 22nd of July, 2011, Norway experienced it’s deadliest attack since World War II. Ten years later, the country is still reckoning with what happened. Part of that reckoning is physical, embodied in the tearing down and rebuilding of the government quarter where the first attack took place. Much of the construction and planning has been contro…
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Repost: 27- Have Universities Diversified Their Reading Lists Since #RhodesMustFall?
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In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests around the world, many institutions looked inward at what they could do or change, PRIO included. Last year PRIO allocated internal funding to develop projects on ethnic, racial, cultural and religious discrimination. One of those projects is "Teaching African peace and conflict through European eyes (Euro…
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48- How Can We Explain Support for Terrorism?
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What makes people support terrorism or violent extremism? Is there any way to know what factors contribute? As terrorism has increasingly become a global concern, research has focused on who becomes a terrorist, and who supports terrorism, with many valuable conclusions coming out of that research. But until now no one has looked at whether these f…
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47- A Future to Meet One's Aspirations: Education and Refugee Experiences in Dadaab
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In late 1991, refugee camps were set up in Dadaab, Kenya. Today, the three camps located there make up the third-largest refugee complex in the world. For many, Dadaab is a long term home, and education is of course an important part of life both in the camp and once an individual leaves. But while the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 recognizes t…
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For the last 19 years, PRIO and the Uppsala university Department of peace and conflict have collaborated on the Uppsala Conflict Data Program. It’s the world’s main provider of data on organized violence, and is updated each year. In this episode Siri Aas Rustad shares the latest update and talks about changes and trends we’re seeing in armed conf…
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