CPD Policy Blog

CPD Policy Blog

Linking academia and policy. Contributing to social progress. Enabling sustainable politics. Connecting the dots. Thinking ahead.
Cooperation
The CPD Policy Blog is a project of the Austrian Conflict, Peace and Democracy Cluster (CPDC) and is supported by the University of Graz, Institut für Konfliktforschung (IKF), Demokratiezentrum Wien, ASPR as well as Shabka.
Research
Peace and conflict research deals with violence and violent conflicts in the broadest sense. It thus seeks to formulate strategies to overcome these forms of violence in the short, medium and long term.
CPD Cluster
The CPD Cluster seeks to bundle the competence existing in Austria in the areas of conflict, peace & democracy. It thus contributes to the peaceful, non-violent and non-discriminatory development of society.

Focus Topic

Si vis Pacem, Para Bellum: How Much Violence Does Peace Need?

This blog series examines the paradoxical relationship between peace and violence in contemporary international security, as captured by the maxim “si vis pacem, para bellum.” It explores why military force is widely framed as a prerequisite for stability across state security strategies, alliances, and UN peace operations, while non-violent approaches are often dismissed as unrealistic.
State Security or Human Security? How Militarisation Erodes Feminist Peacebuilding
State Security or Human Security? How Militarisation Erodes Feminist Peacebuilding
The current militarisation and great-power politics systematically privilege state security over human security, eroding feminist peacebuilding and the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. By leaning...
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The 2026 Swiss OSCE chairpersonship: an opportunity for cohesion in foreign and security policy
The 2026 Swiss OSCE chairpersonship: an opportunity for cohesion in foreign and security policy
In January 2026, Switzerland assumed the OSCE chair for a third time. Originating from a request by several countries, it is an expression of confidence...
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Fighting for Peace without Fighting Wars: Taiwan’s Digital Defense Strategy
Fighting for Peace without Fighting Wars: Taiwan’s Digital Defense Strategy
Peace and security in the digital age can no longer be understood solely through military deterrence. Instead, the capacity to defend and actively contest aggression...
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Building a movement for disarmament and democracy
Building a movement for disarmament and democracy
This essay is a critical analysis of the growing global nuclear weapons threat and the flaws of nuclear deterrence theory. It reviews the recent expiration...
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Latin America and the Caribbean geopolitics on the tightrope
Latin America and the Caribbean geopolitics on the tightrope
Peace and conflict in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) face a major transfiguration that is reshuffling the region’s place in the world`s geopolitical landscape. ...
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Si vis Pacem, Para Bellum: How Much Violence Does Peace Need?
Si vis Pacem, Para Bellum: How Much Violence Does Peace Need?
Or, as President Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick.’  Diplomacy, conflict, peace negotiations, economic sanctions, press conferences and draft statements, these...
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Security Through Accountability: A Case for Institutional Reform
Security Through Accountability: A Case for Institutional Reform
The security policy debate is dominated by two main positions. One argues that military strength creates stable peace through deterrence. The other considers the use...
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Si vis bellum, armabis te. War and Arms Build-Up
Si vis bellum, armabis te. War and Arms Build-Up
Global military spending has tripled since the beginning of the century to around three trillion dollars in 2025. Arms control treaties, such as those on...
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