Peace Science Digest: Volume 1, Issue 5, published by the War Prevention Initiative, is now available for free download.
[icon type=”glyphicon glyphicon-share-alt” color=”#dd3333″] download the current issueA Note from the Editors
Dear Readers,
It is our pleasure to introduce Volume 1, Issue 5 of the Peace Science Digest.
As we near the end of our first year of publication, we continue identifying important research into the causes and consequences of violent conflict, public opinion on war and peace, and the opportunities for nonviolent movements.
At the time of this writing, the Dakota Access Pipeline has given the world another example of the power of nonviolence in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. Backed by the support of some of the world’s largest banks, oil companies, militarized security forces and a powerful government, the nonviolent action of a relatively small group of indigenous ‘land protectors’ and their supporters have momentarily stopped the production route of a major oil pipeline. As of November, 1st, due to the success of the nonviolent protest, the United States government is examining alternate routes for the pipeline. Just imagine for a moment how the already violent response to the ‘land protectors’ would look in the face of an armed resistance. Nonviolent resistance is an effective form of social struggle.
As always, we hope you can connect the enclosed research analysis to your own practice, studies and/or social networks. We believe that access to useful, understandable, and reliable research can contribute to the understanding of local and international events and aid in the construction of knowledge-based worldviewing that challenges the institutions and systems generating large-scale violence and war.
Inside this issue, we provide relevant research examining multiple lenses of war prevention and the viable nonviolent alternatives: how domestic protests influence coups; oil, terrorism and insurgency in the Middle East and North Africa; democracy, human rights and terrorism as possible motives for U.S. military intervention; the uneven distribution of civilian casualties, politics, and public support for Israel; and how nonviolent resistance contributes to strong democracies.
As always, featured research remains relevant to ongoing political and public debates. We hope that the Peace Science Digest continues to be a resource for you and your work and that each issue provides further evidence and understanding into the positive contribution of Peace Science.
Patrick Hiller & David Prater
