Sustainable Peace Lab (Reconciling Conflicts and Intergroup Divisions)

About the Sustainable Peace Lab

Our Areas of Research & Practice

Social boundaries

How do contested historical narratives influence intergroup social boundaries?

How does the meaning of identity define patterns of inclusion and exclusion?

How can social boundaries be changed, redefined, or resolved to promote reconciliation?

Threat Perception

How do different types of threat perception impact conflict dynamics?

How is threat produced and transferred through collective memory, official narratives, and leadership?

How can threat perception be reduced?

Social Norms

What is the role of social norms in escalation and reconciliation of identity-based conflicts?

How do collective memories and historical narratives influence social norms?

How can existing norms be changed, or new norms constructed, to promote reconciliation during identity-based conflicts?

Multiplicity of Collective Memory

How effective are existing approaches such as dialogue, agonism, and multiperspectivity to reconcile antagonistic collective memories?

How can multiple truths be recognized and accepted within reconciliation processes?

Difficult Heritage

How can memory sites and monuments representing difficult heritage be designed to promote reconciliation in conflict-affected contexts?

How can diverse communities be engaged in the design an development of memory sites?

What are different forms of memory activism and how do they contribute to conflict or reconciliation?

AI For Peace
Co-design with and leverage planned improvements in Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC), reinforce their capabilities

The Sustainable Peace Lab’s Hypothesis of Change

 “The Sustainable Peace Lab built its Theory of Change to enhance reconciliation practice. We seek to implement sustainable peace practices via the empowerment of conflict and peace practitioners with evidence-based approaches. This includes increased understanding of theories of change for identity-based conflicts; innovative tools for reconciling identity-based conflicts; and increased awareness of theory-driven tools for identity-based conflicts.

Sustainable Peace Lab: Hypothesis of Change