The ORG Blog

Peacekeeping and Civilian Protection: An Interview with Conor Foley

Humanitarian aid worker Conor Foley discusses the nature and extent of United Nations peacekeepers' obligations to protect civilians. Read more

Maritime Security: An Interview with Ioannis Chapsos

Ioannis Chapsos discusses the concept maritime security, the drivers behind maritime insecurity and the need to enhance maritime security governance. Read more

Why is the UK going to Mali?

In one of her last acts as British Defence Secretary, Penny Mordaunt announced 250 troops will be deployed to support the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, but for this to be effective it needs better strategic thinking about the UK’s offer to its partners in the Sahel and the African continent. Read more

Gender and Peacekeeping: Progress and Challenges

UN peacekeeping has made considerable progress incorporating gender-sensitivity into its mandates and missions. Nonetheless, significant challenges remain. Read more

Peace Processes: An Interview with Roger Mac Ginty

Professor Roger Mac Ginty discusses peace processes, the decline of liberal peacebuilding and the concept of "everyday peace". Read more

Uneasy Alliances: Learning from France’s Libya Policy

Strongmen cannot provide stability in the long-term, the sooner we learn this the sooner we stop perpetuating instability and violence in the places we intervene. Read more

Right-Wing Populism and Climate Change Policy

Populist party platforms are often hostile to policy designed to address climate change. But there has been relatively little attention paid by researchers to links between populism and climate scepticism, and why such a relationship exists. Read more

Planning for Future Operations: Learning Lessons from Remote Warfare

Remote warfare looks set to be an enduring feature of contemporary campaigns. If it continues to be treated as a secondary task to major warfighting it is unlikely that British forces will ever excel at it. Read more

Give Peacekeeping a Chance

Peacekeeping often gets a bad rap and is coming under increasing budgetary pressure. But when one looks at the broader picture, peacekeeping is a surprisingly effective tool. Read more

Latest

Peacekeeping and Civilian Protection: An Interview with Conor Foley

Humanitarian aid worker Conor Foley discusses the nature and extent of United Nations peacekeepers' obligations to protect civilians.

WarPod Ep #5 : Covert Action and Accountability

RWP are joined by Dr. Jamie Gaskarth from the University of Birmingham to discuss the accountability of the more secretive elements of the UK security services.

Maritime Security: An Interview with Ioannis Chapsos

Ioannis Chapsos discusses the concept maritime security, the drivers behind maritime insecurity and the need to enhance maritime security governance.

ORG’S Research on Special Forces Oversight Included in Parliamentary Report

ORG's research on the lack of parliamentary oversight of Britain's special forces has been included as part of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee's report entitled, “The Role of Parliament in the UK Constitution: Authorising the Use of Military Force.”

The Role of Youth in Peacebuilding: Challenges and Opportunities

Young people are frequently ‘othered’ in discussions about conflict. This is a dangerous practice as youths can play a very positive role aiding peacebuilding in societies recovering from conflict.

Making Bad Economies: The Poverty of Mexican Drug Cartels

Some stories say that local economies benefit from cartels in Mexico. But research suggests that the areas most plagued by drug-related violence have seriously suffered economically.

ORG's Vision

Oxford Research Group (ORG) is an independent organisation that has been influential for over 35 years in pioneering new, more strategic approaches to security and peacebuilding. Based in London since 2006, ORG continues to pursue cutting edge research and advocacy in the United Kingdom and abroad while managing innovative peacebuilding projects in several Middle Eastern countries.

Remote Warfare: Lessons Learned from Contemporary Theatres

This report is a first attempt to identify some of the factors that have helped or hindered the UK’s current approach to remote warfare.

Weavers of Peace: The Higaonon Tribe in the Philippines

The Higaonon, an indigenous tribe in Northern Mindanao in the southern Philippines, have preserved an ancient system of conflict resolution which has enabled them to be a truly peaceful community. However, there is a need to ensure that this knowledge is not lost in the future.

The Cyprus Problem: Why Solve a Comfortable Conflict?

Several diplomatic efforts have been made both domestically and internationally to enhance peaceful unity since the start of the Cyprus Problem. Despite the shortcomings of past efforts, it is still desirable not only to resolve the issue, but also to do so in a timely manner.

Why Does UN Humanitarian Intervention Remain Selective?

Over the past two decades, the United Nations Security Council has responded more strongly to some humanitarian crises than to others. This variation in Security Council action raises the important question of what factors motivate United Nations intervention.