Digital Resources
Online digital resources of past events from the Conflict and Civicness Research Group, and from our research team discussing new ideas
The Conflict and Civicness Resrach Group's podcast series explores the nature of violence in the 21st century. This podcast was a flagship project of the previous Conflict Research Programme.
Season 3 (2023)
Episode 5: Ukraine in 2025- what now?
With the return of Donald Trump in the White House, huge uncertainty now hangs over the future of Ukraine’s democracy and freedom. In this podcast, Luke Cooper and Zoe Williams discuss the huge challenges and hardships Ukraine has experienced in the war, drawing on insights from Luke’s recent visit to Ukraine. They are joined by Ukrainian academic Yuliya Bidenko from Karazin University in Kharkiv.
Episode 4: Fragmentation of fragile peace: Political Marketplace in Ethiopia
In this episode we explain how the mode of transactional politics has come to dominate the dynamics inside Ethiopia under the current Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. We contrast the current political crisis with previous episodes of social unrest and violent change such as the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974. We argue that the ongoing marketisation of political institutions undermines not only the legitimacy of the peace agreement, but the overall monopoly on violence of the state.
In this episode we look at how narratives of state failure, shaped largely by Western expertise, have overlooked and undermined the progress made by Afghans in healthcare, education, and economic stabilization. We argue that the outsized nature of the international intervention in Afghanistan, alongside a top-down approach to conflict resolution, has contributed to a misrepresentation of on-the-ground realities.
Episode 2: From the Revolution of Dignity to Full-Scale War: Civic Resistance in Ukraine
In this episode, we break down the origins of Ukrainian civicness from the start of the Revolution of Dignity that ousted the pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. We look at different roles adopted by a broad set of actors within the society since, following nationwide reforms and the pressures of Russia’s conventional and hybrid warfare. We argue that Putin’s strategy may well be to transform the war in Ukraine into a protracted and long-running conflict resembling the ‘new wars’ of modern time.
In this episode we look at how the lack of equitable distribution of revenue has persisted in South Sudan. Using latest research, we observe a locally driven understanding of resource extraction and management practices among the wider South Sudanese community that learns from the country and region’s history of inequitable patterns of rule.
Season 2 (2021)
S2 EP#1: Ten years of war in Syria?
In this podcast, we set out to challenge some of the assumptions in the existing debate around military intervention in Syria. We argue that Syria has seen very wide ranging military interventions by a large number of foreign actors. It is simply wrong to see it as a case of "non-intervention", even from the West. And this poses a question around how interventions should be designed and undertaken.
S2 EP#2: Investigating the oil rush in Somalia
In this podcast, we critically review the efforts undertaken to date to start tapping into Somalia's oil wealth. We identify a problem of a lack of regulation and ask whether, given the global turn underway to renewable energy sources, this is the wrong time for Somalia to develop an oil industry.
S2 EP#3: Traumatic decarbonisation in South Sudan
In this podcast, we explore the 'peak oil' problem in South Sudan. As the country's reserves dwindle, and oil prices collapse, the extremely impoverished, oil dependent economy has faced a mounting and existential crisis. This is what the Conflict Research Programme calls, 'traumatic decarbonisation'. And it's been a central factor in the South Sudanese Civil War. Drawing on expert interviews and archive footage, Conflict Zone investigates this process and asks what can be done to address the on-going crisis.
S2 EP#4: Decolonising conflict research in the Global South: reflections and dialogues
In this episode, we introduce the Silent Voices Bukavu Project, a collaborative research project, based on the sharing of experiences and creation of dialogue, which has created an intellectual and cultural resource for the global academy. The project seeks to identify and share problems in order to promote and encourage collaborative best practices.
S2 EP#5: The logics of conflict in the DRC: from the mineral to the checkpoint economy
In this episode, we explore the changing nature of the political economy of violence in the DRC. We outline the connections between local and global factors in fuelling the 'mineral wars'. But we also explore the new phenomenon of rebel financing: the role of checkpoints, showing how this also elicits linkages between globalisation and local political economies. We argue checkpoints provide an important window into governance practices in the DRC - and a greater awareness of this aspect, and its nuances, can help generate policy-making that is receptive to local conditions.
Season 1 (2020)
EP #1: How is war changing? Organised violence in the 21st century
In this podcast, the first in a new series from the LSE, we explore the nature of intractable conflict in the modern world. While warfare is no longer seen as a normal mechanism for resolving disputes between states, many states and regions across the globe still live with the reality of conflict and violence.
EP #2: Buying and selling politics: the political marketplace and its adversaries
In this podcast, we introduce the idea of the political marketplace as a way of understanding the relationship between politics and organised violence in twenty-first century conflicts. This is a term which we use on the CRP to discuss the nature of the challenge facing democratic politics in societies prone to violence.
EP #3: Identity politics and the political marketplace
In this podcast, we investigate the relationship between political marketplace conditions and organised violence in Iraq and Syria. We also review the political history of post-1991 Ethiopia and ask if it's undergoing a transformation from a developmental state to a political marketplace one.
EP #4: Opportunities for peace and democracy: civicness in conflict societies
In this podcast, we discuss the phenomenon of 'civicness', arguing that this simple idea can unleash democratic change. We explore the movements for gender equality, independent journalism and democratic transformation in Iraq and Syria.
EP #5: What works? Effective security sector reform in conflict situations
In this podcast, we ask how security services can be reformed to work in the public good, ensuring that the state is not a vehicle for rentier interest groups. We take a closer look at cases of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
EP #6: What works? Exploring the role of local peace agreements in contemporary conflict resolution
In this episode, we look at the role local agreements can play in building a sustainable peace. We suggest caution in seeing these as a solution to organised conflict, but identify the potentially positive role they can play in peace building. The episode features evidence from Somalia, Iraq, Syria and South Sudan.