Background Briefing - Military Conflict, Disease Outbreak and Containment: A Comparative Study of Yemen and DRC

This is the first briefing in a series released by the Oxford Research Group’s (ORG) Strategic Peacebuilding Programme. These briefings examine the lessons that can be drawn from the response to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and how they can be applied in the response to COVID-19 in Yemen. Read more
Collective Strategic Thinking: An Introduction

This article outlines the collective strategic thinking model, a conflict engagement tool that seeks to reduce the intractability of conflicts and thus contribute to conflict resolution. Read more
The Marib Strategic Thinking Group

This policy brief presents a short profile of Marib governorate and outlines its importance as one of Yemen’s key regions. It outlines how the ongoing conflict has affected it, before presenting the governorate’s key challenges and recommendations for future conflict resolution there. Read more
The Hadramawt Strategic Thinking Group

This policy brief presents a short profile of Hadramawt governorate and outlines its importance as one of Yemen’s key regions. It outlines how the ongoing conflict has affected it, before presenting the governorate’s key challenges and recommendations for future conflict resolution there. Read more

Peacebuilding

Security in the DRC and Yemen: Military Conflict, Disease Outbreak and Containment

This briefing examines the effect of military conflict on the response (and vice versa) to Ebola and COVID-19 in DRC and Yemen, respectively. Read more

Mistrust, Misinformation and Community Engagement: Reflections on lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen

This briefing examines the mistrust, misinformation and community engagement during the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks in the DRC and Yemen, respectively. Read more

Background Briefing - Military Conflict, Disease Outbreak and Containment: A Comparative Study of Yemen and DRC

This is the first briefing in a series released by the Oxford Research Group’s (ORG) Strategic Peacebuilding Programme. These briefings examine the lessons that can be drawn from the response to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and how they can be applied in the response to COVID-19 in Yemen. Read more

Collective Strategic Thinking: An Introduction

This article outlines the collective strategic thinking model, a conflict engagement tool that seeks to reduce the intractability of conflicts and thus contribute to conflict resolution. Read more

The Marib Strategic Thinking Group

This policy brief presents a short profile of Marib governorate and outlines its importance as one of Yemen’s key regions. It outlines how the ongoing conflict has affected it, before presenting the governorate’s key challenges and recommendations for future conflict resolution there. Read more

The Hadramawt Strategic Thinking Group

This policy brief presents a short profile of Hadramawt governorate and outlines its importance as one of Yemen’s key regions. It outlines how the ongoing conflict has affected it, before presenting the governorate’s key challenges and recommendations for future conflict resolution there. Read more

WarPod Ep #4 : We Need to Talk About Yemen

Liam Walpole is joined by Marwa Baabbad, Director of ORG's Strategic Peacebuilding Programme, to discuss the UK's policy towards Yemen and the impact of its security partnership with Saudi Arabia on the country. Read more

Yemen: Reshaping the Peace Process

To move towards a resolution, recognising that the time may not yet be ripe for a meaningful peace agreement, ORG and the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies (SCSS) are working to strengthen local capacity for more inclusive and strategic dialogue in two of Yemen’s key regions, Marib and Hadhramout. Read more

ORG's Collective Strategic Thinking Model

In this paper, SPP Director Emily Richardson and ORG consultant Professor Oliver Ramsbotham outline ORG’s unique methodology for Collective Strategic Thinking which helps conflict parties assess where they are, where they want to be, and how to get there. Read more

Introducing ORG’s Strategic Peacebuilding Programme

We chose to launch our new name on 21 September to coincide with the International day of Peace which calls on people around the world to join together to promote a culture of peace. On this day, ORG proudly joins with 130 other peacebuilding organisations worldwide in endorsing a shared statement, Implementing the New Commitments to Peace. Read more

Chilcot Tells Us What We Already Knew – How Do We Implement It?

Did we really need 2.6 million words and 7 years of investigations to be told we should be making better decisions when we go to war? Oxford Research Group was clear – as is now decidedly stated in the Chilcot report – that invasion would intensify the risks of internal strife and Al-Qaeda activity in Iraq. But there was no room for critics of the war as a small sofa cabal of advisors to Tony Blair were already convinced of the its efficacy. Read more

Ripe, Ready or Strategic?: The Timing of Peace Initiatives

This article provides a brief summary of the academic insight on timing in conflict mediation, summarizes major theories on this matter and argues that, with the right mediation strategy, there is never an unsuitable time to engage in fruitful peace initiatives. Read more

Strategic Studies, Conflict Resolution and Transnational Conflict

This paper offers an overall conceptual framework for the venture. What is the difference between strategic studies and conflict resolution? Why do strategic studies and conflict resolution both need to adapt in response to changing patterns of contemporary conflict? How can they mutually inform each other? And what are some of the wider implications for possible future collaborative work? Read more

ORG and RCSS Release Arabic Conflict Resolution Journal

The Oxford Research Group (ORG) has published an Arabic language journal on conflict resolution in cooperation with the Regional Center for Strategic Studies (RCSS) in Cairo. Titled Interconnected Trajectories: Managing Complicated Conflicts in the Middle East, the journal was the outcome of a joint meeting between ORG and RCSS in Cairo in May 2015. Read more

We Need to Defeat Islamic State - but How?

A genuine, if brief, debate took place amongst the political classes in the UK on the dangers of intervening or not intervening in Syria in advance of the British Parliament’s vote to expand its military action from Iraq to Syria. But it seems that we live in a world of amnesiac thinking driven by fine words and high ambition rather than clear strategy. The reality of the murkiness of war and the fog of peace are much more disturbing. Read more

Beyond Deterrence: Rethinking UK Security Doctrine

This article by ORG’s founder and patron, Scilla Elworthy, is based on a keynote address given to the “Making Deterrence work in the Twenty-first Century” forum held at Merton College, Oxford, 15 July 2015, hosted by the Ministry of Defence’s Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) and the University of Oxford Changing Character of War Programme Read more

Iran

ORG provided vital support for the E3+3 negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme from 2009-2013. Using our networks of senior contacts in Iran, the US, Russia and EU states, we quietly built and nurtured relationships at the highest political level and facilitated off-the-record dialogue with Iranian officials involved in the official negotiation and decision-making process. Read more

Ammerdown Invitation: Paul Rogers and Gabrielle Rifkind on alternative visions of security

ORG’s Global Security Consultant Paul Rogers is among 25 conflict analysts and peace-builders who have called for a public conversation about how best to build long-term security for people in the UK and worldwide. Read more

Gaza After Two Months – Consequences for Israel

This briefing reviews the positions of Hamas and Israel at the end of August, assessing the extent of the damage and the security implications for each side. It then examines some of the wider regional elements, particularly in relation to Israeli perceptions of security, and how they may change. Read more

Marginalisation of the Majority World: Drivers of Insecurity and the Global South

This is the second in a series of four papers[3] (see respective links at the bottom of this publication), each of which examines one of these four potential drivers of insecurity, and the ways in which each trend (in this case, marginalisation) may engender local and international discord. Read more

Talking to the Enemy: Creating New Structure for Negotiations

This paper looks at the Iran-US conflict through a psychosocial lens. Read more

War Prevention Works: 50 Stories of Conflict Resolution

Here are 50 short accounts from all over the world of what ordinary people are doing to stop war and killing, armed only with integrity, stamina and courage. These stories show how powerful non-violence can be. They give an indication of what works, who does it, where, and how much it costs. Read more

Latest

Security in the DRC and Yemen: Military Conflict, Disease Outbreak and Containment

This briefing examines the effect of military conflict on the response (and vice versa) to Ebola and COVID-19 in DRC and Yemen, respectively.
Mistrust, Misinformation and Community Engagement: Reflections on lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen

This briefing examines the mistrust, misinformation and community engagement during the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks in the DRC and Yemen, respectively.
Women’s Experiences of Disease Outbreaks in Conflict: Reflections on lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen

This briefing will explore the challenges facing women and girls in each of these contexts. It will first examine the response of the international community in the DRC, and identify key challenges to Congolese women.
Background Briefing - Military Conflict, Disease Outbreak and Containment: A Comparative Study of Yemen and DRC

This is the first briefing in a series released by the Oxford Research Group’s (ORG) Strategic Peacebuilding Programme. These briefings examine the lessons that can be drawn from the response to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and how they can be applied in the response to COVID-19 in Yemen.

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 for nearly four decades 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.
The UK and UN Peace Operations: A Case for Greater Engagement

This report supports an enhanced role for Britain in UN peace operations and sets out a case for greater engagement.
The Politics of Coltan: An Interview with Michael Nest

In this interview, Dr. Michael Nest discusses the political, environmental, ethical and social issues surrounding the mining of columbite–tantalite (coltan).
The Expanding Role of Chinese Peacekeeping in Africa

China's increased involvement in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping in Africa reflects a broader trend of the country taking a more proactive approach to foreign policy.