Video
Unravelling the puzzle of peace: Short videos on key issues in peace and conflict research

A new series of nine short videos produced by the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) has just been released. 

The Puzzle of peace video series features leading economists, political scientists, data scientists, and conflict experts who share their latest research on building sustainable, lasting peace.  

The two-minute videos cover some of the biggest questions in peace and conflict research, each contributing to untangling the ‘puzzle of peace’ in order to map entry points for better policy interventions — one of the key aims of our Institutional legacies of violent conflict project. 

Watch the videos here.  

The puzzle of peace #1

Institutional legacies of violent conflict

Patricia Justino and Tim Besley share their thoughts on the complexities of peacebuilding and state-building. Why is peace so hard to sustain? What can we do to achieve it? 

The puzzle of peace #2

Legacies of wartime governance

Ana Arjona and Adam Day explain why understanding the nature of wartime governance is so important for successful post-conflict statebuilding. 

The puzzle of peace #3

Legacies of conflict dynamics

Stathis Kalyvas discusses the legacies of conflict dynamics and has a hopeful message for countries recovering from war. 

The puzzle of peace #4

Legacies of violence on civilians

Michael Weintraub shares his latest research on civilian victimization and its effects on countries’ post-conflict trajectories and state-building.

The puzzle of peace #5

Building social contract and state capacity

Ana María Ibáñez discusses the importance of trust in building social contract and state capacity in a post-conflict society.

The puzzle of peace #6

The role of external partners

Andrea Ruggeri, Tim Besley, and Patricia Justino reflect on the role external actors play in post-conflict and conflict-affected states. 

The puzzle of peace #7

Building stability

Adam Day and Patricia Justino share their views on ensuring stability and safety in post-conflict societies.  

The puzzle of peace #8

Data challenges in conflict research

Laura Saavedra-Lux talks about the importance of good quality data for conflict researchers. But how do you obtain high quality data in a conflict setting? 

The puzzle of peace #9

Consolidating peace

How do we consolidate peace and prevent conflict? Is the sustainability of peace possible? Henrik Urdal, Stathis Kalyvas, Tim Besley, Ana María Ibáñez, and Patricia Justino share their thoughts in the concluding video of the series. 

Context

Related project
Institutional legacies of violent conflict