Key research themes
1. How can psychological mindsets and communication practices foster a culture of peace and prevent conflicts?
This theme investigates the psychological foundations and social communication methods that empower individuals and communities to foster peace proactively. It involves understanding specific peace-oriented mental frameworks, effective conflict communication, and nonviolent interaction, which are essential for preventing violent conflicts and sustaining peace at multiple social levels. These psychological and communicative competencies amplify peacebuilding efforts by transforming relational dynamics and improving readiness for conflict resolution.
2. What role do indigenous and community-based conflict resolution mechanisms play in sustainable peace and post-conflict reconstruction?
This research area focuses on the efficacy and challenges of local, traditional, and hybrid conflict resolution systems embedded in the socio-cultural context of communities. It emphasizes indigenous practices, hybrid approaches combining customary and formal mechanisms, and community-led reconciliation efforts as pivotal in repairing social fabrics, fostering coexistence, and institutionalizing peace after conflict. Such approaches often provide culturally legitimate, accessible, and adaptive frameworks that complement or substitute formal peacebuilding processes.
3. How do social, mental health, educational, and cultural initiatives contribute to the construction and sustainability of a culture of peace?
Research under this theme explores the interconnectedness between mental health, education, cultural memory, and peacebuilding. It examines how mental well-being and recognition impact social cohesion in post-conflict societies, how education (including peace education and emotional intelligence pedagogy) cultivates peaceful attitudes and behaviors, and how collective positive memory and art-based interventions serve as tools for reconciliation and sustaining peace. This approach underscores the multidimensional, interdisciplinary strategies necessary to foster inclusive and enduring cultures of peace.