PRIO's Peace in a Pod

For some children, the scars of war are present from the very beginning of life. Children born of war are found in virtually every conflict worldwide. Most are born to local women and fathered by members of enemy forces. Some of these relationships are consensual – occasionally even rooted in love. Many, however, are the result of rape. Across contexts, these children carry the burden of a complex...

January 2026 has barely begun, yet the pace of global upheaval is already staggering. In just a few weeks, the United States has seized Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, issued threats against allies, and signalled a willingness to reshape the world order. At the same time, international law and human rights are under unprecedented strain – from Ukraine to Sudan, from Gaza to Iran. Ceasefires...

After nearly a decade as PRIO Director, Henrik Urdal has wrapped up his tenure. Taking over is Nina Græger, who returns to PRIO after leading the Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen. In this special episode of PRIO’s Peace in a Pod , host Arnaud Siad sits down with both leaders for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to steer a peace research institute in a...

2024 marked one of the most violent years since the end of the Cold War, with 61 armed conflicts recorded across 36 countries. This sobering tally comes from PRIO’s latest Conflict Trends: A Global Overview report, drawing on data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program. But behind the numbers lies a deeper human toll. From Gaza to Sudan, children are among the most vulnerable in today’s wars - fac...

The European Commission has unveiled a bold 800 billion euro plan to ramp up defense spending - marking what many are calling a historic shift in Europe’s security architecture. With the United States signaling a more distant role under the Trump administration, Europe is under growing pressure to stand on its own. Is this a turning point for NATO? Can Europe match the military and strategic weigh...

Negotiations around a ceasefire in Ukraine have dominated headlines ever since Donald Trump returned to the White House. From bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia to direct talks between Trump and Vladimir Putin, discussions are intensifying over what a potential ceasefire could look like. But on the ground, the fighting continues. Ukraine’s energy infrastructure remains under attack, and civilians are...

President Donald Trump’s call for the U.S. to take control of Gaza and displace its population marks a stark break from decades of American policy—one that could destabilize the entire Middle East. This comes at a critical moment, as the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire hangs in the balance and families await the return of hostages from Gaza. For Palestinians, the threat of another forced displaceme...

December 8th. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is reported to have fled the country his family ruled for 50 years—a political earthquake that sends shockwaves across the globe. Miles away in Europe, thousands of Syrians in the diaspora gather spontaneously to mark this historic moment. Governments react swiftly—many freezing asylum claims, while some begin drafting plans for the return of refugees...

The stakes are rising in Ukraine as Russian attacks on critical infrastructure intensify, plunging the country into darkness with rolling blackouts. Meanwhile, the Biden administration makes its final push to arm Kyiv before leaving office, and President-elect Donald Trump signals a potential shift in U.S. policy, raising critical questions about the future of the conflict. In this episode of PRIO...

Donald Trump’s return to the White House raises urgent questions about the state of American democracy. His contentious victory—despite ongoing legal battles and investigations into his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election—marks one of the most polarizing comebacks in U.S. political history. What does Trump’s presidency mean for the future of American democracy, civil resistance, and glob...

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious honors. Each year, the Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) presents his own independent list of individuals and organizations he believes are deserving of the Prize. This list, separate from the official selection by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, highlights those who have worked tirelessly for peace and merit special re...

On April 29th at the World Economic Forum, Norway’s Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, delivered a striking critique of the so-called “West,” accusing his allies of a double standard in their handling of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.  His remarks echoed growing criticism from the Global South, and highlighted the risk of eroding multilateral institutions and international law.   Bu...

More armed conflicts took place in 2023 than in any other year since the end of World War II. That is the shocking finding in this year’s Conflict Trends Report – a yearly paper by the Peace Research Institute Oslo, using data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program and examining global conflict trends since 1946.   In total, 59 armed conflicts raged around the world last year.   So is ou...

For decades, Norway has played a major role as a peacemaker. From the Nobel Peace Prize to the Oslo Accords, promoting peace has been a central aspect of Norwegian foreign policy. But this is only part of the story. Few outside the country are aware of the thriving, lucrative, and government-owned weapons industry in this Scandinavian nation. This creates a dilemma for Norway, as it walks a tightr...

As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, two women's organizations are pushing for a return to negotiation and a permanent resolution to the conflict. “Women Wage Peace” is the largest grassroots peace movement in Israel, while its Palestinian counterpart, “Women of the Sun,” is a Palestinian women's organization based in Bethlehem. They are part of a global movement to ensure women are no...

As Russians headed to the polls this month, the reelection of Russian President Vladimir Putin was not in doubt. On March 17th, with over 87% of the votes in his favor, Putin secured a fifth term, becoming the longest-serving leader of the Federation since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. With most opposition candidates either dead, jailed, exiled, or barred from running, the path was clear, with no...

UNRWA is in trouble. The UN agency for Palestine Refugees is accused by Israel of being infiltrated by Hamas and having had some of its staff involved in the attacks on October 7th. Nearly 2 million people in Gaza depend on UNRWA for survival as war and displacement continue after nearly four months of war. The allegations by Israel concern a fraction of the workforce in Gaza, but are having devas...

From war-torn Ukraine and Sudan to the Mediterranean, 2023 marked yet another year where thousands were forced to leave their homes in pursuit of a better life. In one of the deadliest migrant boat tragedies, more than 600 people drowned on June 14 off the coast of Greece, after a fishing vessel known as the Adriana capsized and sank. A few months later, the minuscule Italian island of Lampedusa s...

On November 15th, Israeli forces stormed al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, in search of a Hamas base. The facility sheltered hundreds of people: wounded civilians, children, and newborns. Soon after, the World Health Organization labeled the hospital a "death zone." Healthcare facilities enjoy special protections under international law. However, from Gaza to Ukrain...

On November 15th, the world watched as a highly anticipated meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden took place amid the scenic backdrop of Woodside, California.   From a controversial visit by a US House Speaker to Taiwan, to a Chinese spy balloon crossing the United States – the two countries’ relations have sunk to their lowest point in decades.   And from...

In the early hours of October 7, Palestinian militants with Hamas, the Islamic group that controls the Gaza Strip, mounted a stunning and highly coordinated invasion of Israel.   They rampaged through Israeli towns, killing people in their homes, attacking young rave-goers, and taking some 200 hostages.   The attacks by Hamas were horrific and gruesome, some of them live-streamed on soci...

In the early hours of October 7, a powerful earthquake shook Herat province in western Afghanistan. It was followed by multiple aftershocks and a second, strong earthquake on October 11.   Entire villages across western Afghanistan have been destroyed and over a thousand people lost their lives. And out of the rubble and dust has emerged a shocking statistic: according to the United Nations,...

The announcement by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on the Peace Prize is an event highly anticipated each year by millions around the world.   It’s easy to see why: the names of previous Nobel Peace Prize recipients include the likes of Malala Yousafzai, President Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, and the 14th Dalai Lama.   So who will be the winner this year? And what impact can it have on t...

Eighteen months since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. US officials now report that the total number of troops from both sides killed or wounded since the war began is nearing half a million. A staggering toll, most of it paid by Russian troops, which outnumber Ukrainians almost three to one.   Boosted by billions of dollars of military aid and state-of-t...

A year ago, in the early hours of June 25, a gunman opened fire at three locations in the centre of Oslo, including at the London Pub, a longstanding fixture of the LGBTQ+ scene in the Norwegian capital. Espen Aleksander Evjenth was there dancing with his partner and his friends, when a bullet hit his head. Despite his severe wound, he miraculously survived. Police later announced that they viewed...