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King’s College London

The Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) research programme seeks to better understand conflict-affected borderlands, how conflicts connect across borders, and the factors that shape violent and peaceful behaviour, to inform effective policy and programme responses.

Our team at King’s College London (KCL) is interested in why some individuals embrace violent means while others embrace peaceful ones in different fragile and conflict-affected settings. We are exploring which factors influence the extent to which people are ready to reconcile following conflict or, conversely, support continuing violence. We are looking at a range of different factors, including individual-level factors such as cognitive dispositions, conflict and other traumatic experiences, and mental health problems; social-level factors such as social support, social capital, and social cohesion; and other factors, such as the degree of trust in institutions and other people.

Through a framework of collective memory and memorialisation, we are also examining the factors that can help conflict-affected communities navigate violent historical episodes and find a constructive path to reconciling with the groups and institutions they see as responsible for their grievances. For example, we are looking at post-conflict intra- and inter- communal tensions and how diverse actors have been caught in a competition over the right to reframe the dominant public discourse on their country’s turbulent history. We are also conducting research on how prison contributes to individuals, groups, and movements becoming more violent, more ideologically extreme – or more peaceful.

We take a mixed-methods approach to research, using survey, experimental/interventional, and qualitative methodologies. We are employing large-scale longitudinal surveys across different fragile and conflict-affected contexts, primarily the Impact of Trauma Survey that has been developed by our team at KCL. The survey is coupled with qualitative follow-ups, such as semi-structured interviews and oral histories, to further explore themes of trauma and conflict. We will also develop and pilot an intervention to test whether it is possible to increase readiness to reconcile in conflict-affected populations.

Our approach will create a rich empirical basis from which our team can propose tangible, practical outcomes for government and other stakeholders, such as proposing psychosocial interventions that can reduce violence and promote peace. Our goal is to translate first-class and rigorous academic research for consumption by audiences beyond the academy, using empirical insights to drive impactful and meaningful outcomes.

The KCL team is interdisciplinary in its composition – comprising experts in trauma, neuroscience, psychology, memory, gender, war, and terrorism – allowing us to better examine the factors which shape violent and peaceful behaviour. We focus primarily on three conflict-affected settings: Iraq, Lebanon/Syria, and South Sudan.

The KCL XCEPT workstream is operationally led by The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) but brings together colleagues from a variety of research centres and departments, including the Centre for the Study of Divided Societies (CSDS), the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), and the Department of War Studies.

Our team will publish their findings through peer-reviewed journal articles, working papers, policy briefs, podcasts, panel discussions, video explainers and blog posts.

Below is an animation which introduces this strand of XCEPT research.

Our team

Principal Investigator
Shiraz Maher

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Project Manager
Beth Heron

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Communications Manager
Clara May

King’s College London

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Researcher
Alison Brettle

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Research Assistant
Caterina Ceccarelli

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Research Lead
Craig Larkin

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Lead Researcher
Dr Costanza Torre

King’s College London

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Research Officer
Elaf Khaled

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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XCEPT Survey Director
Fiona McEwen

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Research Fellow
Inna Rudolf

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Research and Policy Director
Nafees Hamid

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

 

 

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Research Fellow
Nils Mallock

King’s College London

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Research Fellow
Rajan Basra

King’s College London

 

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Project/Research Assistant
Sam Hibbs

King’s College London

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Senior Data Analyst
Teja Pammi

King’s College London

Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

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Our research

Article

19th December 2024
This XCEPT article examining the recent conflict through the lens of interactions between displaced families from Hezbollah-linked regions and their h...

Article

19th December 2024
A brief overview of the main Shi‘a Islamist actors involved in Axis of Resistance politics in Iraq, examining their embeddedness within the state appa...

Podcast

6th December 2024
King’s College London’s War Studies podcast reflects on the 2014 genocide against the Yezidis and the situation today.

Blog

4th December 2024
This XCEPT blog post explores the motivations behind the atrocities and acts of extreme violence that were carried out during Sierra Leone’s civil war...

Article

30th October 2024
This XCEPT article investigates what drives individuals to join and remain loyal to armed groups amidst the chaos of the Syrian wars by focusing on th...

Blog

17th October 2024
The killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is the latest in a history of political-sectarian assassinations in Lebanon, and will likely intensif...

Publication

30th September 2024
This XCEPT policy brief examines how the kidnapping in Arsal, Lebanon affects victims’ families and shapes their attitudes towards the state, justice,...

Blog

4th September 2024
As humanitarian and reconstruction efforts are helping an Iraqi city deal with its violent past, one tree-planting project is helping to safeguard its...

Blog

27th August 2024
XCEPT researcher Sam Hibbs on how models of conflict allow us to consider how various elements interact side by side, and they help researchers from d...

Briefing paper

6th August 2024
Based on first-hand interviews with Yezidi communities and diaspora voices, this XCEPT briefing note explores feelings of marginalisation and stigmati...

Briefing paper

29th July 2024
This XCEPT briefing note assesses the diverse needs of war-affected children in Iraq, highlighting the specific challenges faced by those in ISIS-affi...

Blog

22nd July 2024
XCEPT  researcher Nils Mallock on his experience researching the psychological causes of violent and high-risk political action in Iraq and Lebanon.
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