The British Academy announces funding for 18 research projects on violence and peace in the Global South

The British Academy today announces funding for 18 new research projects looking to generate policy-relevant insights on preventing violence and promoting peace in countries of the Global South.

Through its Heritage, Dignity and Violence programme, which is funded by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) under the Global Challenges Research Fund, the British Academy seeks to support innovative interdisciplinary research and facilitate international collaborations in the humanities and social sciences. The 18 projects funded under this programme will deepen understanding of the role of history, culture and heritage in overcoming violence and attaining sustainable peace.

The projects bring together scholars from 15 different UK universities with colleagues from over 30 institutions in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. This new cohort of award-holders will explore a wide range of topical issues, from understanding the links between water scarcity and violence to counteracting the practice of female genital mutilation.

Professor Simon Goldhill, Foreign Secretary and Vice-President of the British Academy, said: 

“We are delighted to announce these exciting new projects. Preventing violence and achieving sustainable peace requires a careful consideration of cultures, practices, histories and societal norms, as well as a deep understanding of the complexity of these factors and how they vary across contexts and intersect with one another. The humanities and social sciences are ideally placed to generate important insights in this regard.

"By encouraging equitable research collaborations with partners in the Global South, where the challenge of achieving sustainable peace is particularly pronounced, we hope that the findings to emerge from this programme will have real world impact in a truly inclusive way.”