About

Growing societal polarisation, renewed interstate tensions, and escalating regional crises are reshaping security landscape of liberal democracies. Among others, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, extremist attacks across liberal democracies, the civil conflict in Sudan, and instability and conflict in the Middle East demonstrate how internal vulnerabilities and external pressures converge to produce widespread insecurity with direct spill-over effects. Moreover, the accelerating circulation of disinformation and clickbait-driven narratives further inflames societal divisions, erodes trust, and amplifies societal fractures. These evolving dynamics highlight the urgent need for policy-relevant research into the root causes of insecurity and fragmentation, as well as evidence-based responses that enhance societal democratic resilience, strengthen conflict-prevention and crisis-management capacities. They also highlight the imperative for liberal democracies to reclaim and renew a political vision for an international system grounded in peace rather than armed confrontation – an ambition inspired by, yet aiming to advance beyond, the foundational ideals that guided the creation of the European and United Nations projects.

This project aims to advance a peace-centred approach to security by producing policy-relevant research on the fundamental drivers of insecurity, polarisation, and societal fragmentation, seeking to strengthen democratic resilience, and enhance conflict prevention and crisis-management capacities. By doing so, we aim to contribute to the renewal of an international order grounded in peace, cooperation, and collective security, moving beyond armed confrontation and building on, while advancing, the founding ideals of the European and United Nations projects.