The Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies in collaboration with the Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, the Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA), and The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution – George Mason University are co-organizing the "Conflict and Humanitarian Studies" Conference. It will be held on 22-23 January 2025, at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies.
In its first edition, the Conflict and Humanitarian Studies Conference is welcoming 34 researcher from different parts of the world with 28 research paper related to four main themes covering the fields of conflict and humanitarian studies. The conference aims to provide a platform for an academic and critical discussion, highlighting the theoretical frameworks, research methodologies, and ethical aspects. It aims for creating contributions that address diverse geographical contexts, with a special focus (but not limited to) on the West Asia and North Africa region.
CHS Conference Aims and Themes
This conference comes in response to the urgent need to address the radical changes that have occurred in the dynamics of conflict and humanitarian crises, both in the Arab world and globally.
Geopolitical shifts, technological innovations, and environmental challenges in recent years have led to rapid and fundamental changes in the nature of these conflicts and crises. The complexity and scale of these challenges demand a multidisciplinary and comprehensive dialogue that enhances the exchange of knowledge and experiences and stimulates innovative ideas among various stakeholders.
In this context, the conference seeks to provide a platform for interdisciplinary interaction and reflection, bringing together academics, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from different regions. It aims to break down barriers between different disciplines and promote for a comprehensive and integrated understanding of current conflicts and humanitarian crises. This dialogue is expected to contribute to crafting more efficient and appropriate responses to local contexts, helping address the complex challenges faced by conflict-affected communities.
The CHS conference also focuses on the necessity of localizing research on conflicts and humanitarian work, ensuring the integration of diverse local voices, multidimensional perspectives, and indigenous knowledge in academic and policy discourse. Additionally, it seeks to encourage the participation of emerging researchers from conflict-affected environments, empowering a new generation of specialists in conflict and humanitarian studies. This inaugural conference on conflict and humanitarian studies aspires to be a starting point for innovative, multidisciplinary, and inclusive discussions that pave the way toward more effective policies and practices that align with local contexts.
The proposed research papers will discuss the following four themes:
Theme 1: Mediation and Peace-making
This theme will address issues related to conflict mediation and peace-making. This includes but is not limited to the challenges of Track II peace-making, the role of Gulf States in conflict mediation, and the evaluation of peace agreements. This theme particularly seeks to bring together established and novel ideas around Gulf mediation and peace-making to further enrich the discipline.
Theme 2: Conflict and Recovery in and beyond the Arab States
This theme will cover any issues related to conflict, post-conflict recovery, and peacebuilding in and beyond the Arab states. Particular emphasis will be placed on the issue of post-genocide recovery in the Gaza Strip and the wider region following the devastating events of 2023 and 2024.
Theme 3: Current Challenges and Future of Humanitarian Action:
This theme will address current challenges to, and future of, humanitarian action. It does so in the light of persistent impediments to humanitarian access and extreme levels of food insecurity, displacement, and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in total or complete impunity in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan, among other contexts. This theme may cover panels on the role of humanitarian diplomacy, different understandings and non-Western variants of humanitarian action, the politicisation and depoliticisation of humanitarian action, the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, and the rethinking of the global humanitarian system in a context of shrinking funding and humanitarian space.
Theme 4: Localising Conflict and Humanitarian Research
This theme emphasises the need for integrating local experiences, perspectives, and knowledge in conflict and humanitarian studies. By exploring methodological and ethical considerations, capacity building, and the role of local and international partnerships, this theme aims to shift the balance of power and decision-making towards more contextually sensitive and locally driven approaches.