IICRR Podcast Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction

As part of the developing debate on possible referenda North and South on Irish unity, Dublin City University is supporting a range of new research projects on some of the big questions - from politics to health policy and the economy. In this episode, Prof. John Doyle (Director, IICRR) spoke with Aoife Moore (Irish Examiner) about the need for such a project at this time, and the importance of making it accessible to a wider public.

After a 2019 coup d'état deposed President Omar al-Bashir after thirty years in power, Sudan has been slowly transitioning towards democracy. While the revolution brought together protesters from mixed political and economic backgrounds, including ordinary Sudanese with no strong political affiliations, the transitionary process has been far from peaceful, and a section of civil society organisations continue to protest against remnants of the old regime that have plagued the transition process.

In this episode, IICRR's S. Harikrishnan spoke with researcher, journalist and filmmaker Sara Creta about ongoing events in Sudan including pandemic response, media censorship and interest of international institutions.

While coping with economic recession and an increasingly hostile regional theatre, in June 2021 Iranians will cast their vote in the presidential election. What would a possible conservative Revolutionary Guards-connected presidency mean for civil society opposition? What changes can we expect to see in Iran following Biden's win? What role could the EU play in the diplomatic efforts towards Iran and the region? In this episode, Prof. John Doyle speaks to Dr Paola Rivetti about the upcoming elections, and what directions Iran's domestic and regional politics are expected to go in the next future.

Prof. John Doyle in conversation with Prof. Oliver Richmond on “The Evolution of International Peace Architecture”. Prof. Richmond outlines his most recent research on the evolution of international peace architecture (forthcoming as a book with Oxford University Press) and offer insights on the state of peace in the 21st Century.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for decades. The region lies within Azerbaijan's internationally recognised borders but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. Heavy fighting erupted in late September - the biggest escalation of the conflict in a quarter-century - and has left several thousand dead. A Russian-brokered deal, signed by Putin and the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan obliges Armenian forces to leave areas in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. The agreement has sparked jubilation in Azerbaijan and furious protests in neighbouring Armenia. In the last few days, Russia has deployed almost 2,000 peacekeepers and armoured vehicles to the region who will remain there for at least 5 years as part of the agreement. But will it create the conditions of sustainable peace?

In this episode, Prof. John Doyle, Director of DCU's Conflict Institute, talks to Dr Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Associate Professor at DCU's School of Law and Government and member of the IICRR. Donnacha has been conducting field research in the region for over two decades.