UCDP 2012 Annual Report
Compared to the previous year, 2012 proved to be a turning-point for the UCDP. In the
beginning of the year the program was suffering the consequences of economic cutbacks and a
number of staff had to be laid off. With the support from the Department and the Faculty of
Social Science the program was able to keep key staff, thus maintain its momentum. Strengthened
by the challenges, however, UCDP submitted a number of high quality applications for research
infrastructure to Vetenskapsrådet (VR) and Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ). Two were funded.
This means that UCDP has now been able to make some new hires and consequently continue
its efforts to geo-code the rest of the world, beyond Africa that was completed in November
2011.
2013 thus presents UCDP with a number of exciting tasks ahead. First of all, a delegation will be
present at the International Studies Association’s (ISA) annual conference, this year in San
Francisco. A conference paper, using the so called MIC dataset will be presented by UCDP
members at the conference. Even more exciting is the Conference on Geography and Armed
conflict which UCDP is planning to arrange in Uppsala during the fall of 2013. The conference is
an opportune occasion for UCDP to meet with, and listen to, many of the users that use our
data.
Below follows a point-wise outline of UCDP’s activities throughout 2012.
Research Funding
Applications submitted
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UCDP submitted the planned infrastructure project “Mapping Armed Conflict in Asia,
1989 – 2012” to Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. Head of the project is Professor Peter
Wallensteen.
UCDP submitted the planned infrastructure project “Mapping Armed Conflict, 19892012. A complementary data collection for a dataset on organized violence worldwide.”
to Vetenskapsrådet. Head of the project is Dr. Erika Forsberg.
UCDP was part of the proposed project looking at what happens to armed groups after
the armed conflict is terminated, submitted to RJ. Head of the project is Dr. Erika
Forsberg.
UCDP applied for funding for a conference on geography and conflict. The application
was submitted to RJ by Dr. Margareta Sollenberg.
Grants received
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Early in January it was clear that the Faculty of Social Science could assist UCDP with a
total of 1,5 million SEK.
UCDP received the infrastructure grants from Vetenskapsrådet and Riksbankens
Jubileumsfond in decisions at the end of the year. This means UCDP has funding to
geocode the rest of the world by 2015.
New and updated datasets, innovations
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Human Security Report 2012 released with new UCDP data. Focus included sexual
violence issues in conflict.
UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset v.4-2012, 1946 – 2011 was released 12 July 2012.
The UCDP Dyadic Dataset v. 1-2012, 1946 – 2011 was released 12 July 2012.
UCDP Actor Dataset v.2.1-2012 was released 3 August 2012.
UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset v. 2.4-2012, 1989-2011 was released 3 August 2012.
UCDP One-sided Violence Dataset v 1.4-2012, 1989-2011 was released 3 August 2012.
UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset v.5-2012b, 1989-2011 was released 16 October
2012.
The UCDP Onset of Intrastate Armed Conflict, 1946-2011 was released 16 October
2012.
UCDP Africa GED was released on 15 Nov; since then it has been visited 814 times
from 509 unique visitors and has been downloaded 413 times. Various high-ranking
research institutions and several militaries seem to have a look at UCDP data.
UCDP Peace Agreement Dataset v. 2.0, 1975-2011 was released 17 December 2012.
Media
Appearances in the media
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Peter Wallensteen appeared on the front page of Riksbankens Jubileumsfonds homepage.
Lotta Themnér was interviewed by the journal Pax about a recent UCDP press release.
Peter Wallensteen was interviewed concerning the mediation attempts in Syria by Svenska
Dagbladet.
On 8 March, Lotta Themnér comments on the campaign to arrest LRA-leader Kony
were published on the website of SVT.
Samuel Taub’s text on arms trade was published on the website of SVT debatt on 20
March.
On 12 April, Samuel Taub was interviewed by P4 Morgon Radio Uppland on the
situation in Syria.
Peter Wallensteen was also in Morgonsoffan (SVT) on 17 July discussing mediation in
relation to Syria.
Lotta Themnér was interviewed by a reporter from the Irish Times for an article on subSaharan Africa based on UCDP data.
Therése Pettersson was interviewed by ETC magazine on 19 August for an article on
trends.
On 12 October, Peter Wallensteen was interviewed by media (NTV, Verdens Gang,
Huvfudstadsbladet) regarding the Nobel Peace Prize decision and referenced UCDP.
UNT interviewed Erik Melander regarding Nobel Peace Prize decision.
On 4 November, Lotta Themnér was interviewed by in Svenska Dagladet about trends in
armed conflict.
On 21 November, Stina Högbladh commented on DRC in Dagens Nyheter.
On 10 December, SVT aired a broadcast of Peter Wallensteen talking about Nobel Peace
Prize awarded to EU. A UCDP coding meeting was also displayed.
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Peter Wallensteen was interviewed by Finish journal Tieto & Trendit-lehden.
Ralph Sundberg published a UCDP-GED video on Youtube.
Peter Wallensteen received the Rudbeck medal for his contributions to the University,
not the least for the work with UCDP.
Peter Wallensteen wrote an article on the peace negotiations at Knäred, in which he
analyzed the lasting (400-year), mediated peace between Sweden and Denmark (16132013). He compared Sweden in 1613 to the modern Congo.
The UCDP contributed its chapter “The Arab Spring and its Repercussions for Conflict”
to the SIPRI’s Annual Yearbook.
Media referring to UCDP
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Dagens Nyheter (DN) had a small piece in connection to the press release sent out in
early January.
Anders Bolling wrote an article about UCDP GED in DN (26 February)
The video documenting the movements of the LRA has been published on the Youtube
channel of Fotografiska museum on 3 April.
A Uppsala University press release was published on July 13 focusing on the increase in
number of conflicts. The release was accompanied by an article in Journal of Peace
Research. There was some media coverage, for example Vetenskapsradion, SvD,
Aftenposten and FaluKuriren amongst others picked up on the press release.
Forskning.se highlighted UCDP’s contribution “Strengthening the role of mediation in
the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution”.
Report of the Secretary-General to the 66th General Assembly of the United Nations
(A/66/811).’ included references to UCDP data, and forskning.se had an article based on
the press release and the UN secretary general’s report.
SIPRI’s yearbook 2012 was published containing three chapters written by UCDP.
The GED video on UCDP’s Youtube channel has so far been watched over 2000 times,
the video that was published on the website of DN was the most viewed video during
that week.
Anders Bolling was referring to UCDP on a post on his blog on 24 August.
UCDP were acknowledged in DN in two different articles by Anders Bolling, published
on the 6 September, one regarding the shifting trends in armed conflicts and the other
regarding the excessive number of casualties in armed conflicts.
Journalists from SDB wrote a feature article on UCDP DRC conflict data.
New Routes (from LPI) has translated and published the “States” press-release in
English.
The Geo-press release was translated to Italian and published in Le Science.
Mo Ibrahim foundation now uses UCDP data in their annual index on governance in
Africa.
The DN website published a shortened version of the GED-YouTube video.
Times Higher Education published a review of the newly published 3rd edition of Peter
Wallensteen’s “Understanding Conflict Resolution”, and classified it as “highly
recommended”.
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Micah Zenko and Michael A Cohen published an article in Foreign Affairs using UCDP
data (“Clear and Present Safety: The United States is More Secure than Washington
Thinks”, Foreign Affairs 91/2).
Svenska Dagbladet (21 December 2012): ”Antalet konflikter i världen ökar”.
Sveriges Radio (27 December 2012): ”Färre dör i krig enligt Uppsalaforskare”.
Dagens Nyheter (30 December 2012) had an article titles: “Kris för fredssamtal oroar
forskare”.
Svenska Dagbladet (31 December 2012): ”Konflikthärdarna inte färre 2012”.
Lectures, presentations, visits and teaching
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Peter Wallensteen held a presentation on 7 January in Stockholm on trends in armed
conflict.
Samuel Taub held a lecture at Victor Rydbergs Gymnasiet at Jarlaplan on 11 January; the
lecture was a presentation of the database and on the situation in Syria.
Students from Diplomatprogrammet visited and got an introduction of UCDP on
January 16
Louise Belfrage from Access visited UCDP on January 16 and got information about the
program.
Peter Wallensteen held a lecture for ICR course on 18 January.
Professor Will Moore, Florida visited on 23rd of January and showed great interest in
UCDP.
Samuel Taub visited Rosendals Gymnasium on 31st January and held a UCDP lecture.
Peter Wallensteen held lectures on three occasions with Rotary Clubs in Uppsala in
February.
Christian Altpeter held a lecture for UF on 9 February.
Peter Wallensteen gave a lecture for NOHA (21/22 February).
Peter Wallensteen attended the Istanbul Conference on mediation (24/25 February).
UCDP presented the Arab-Spring part of the SIPRI chapter at the DPCR Research
Seminar (01 March).
Peter Wallensteen presented UCDP during a speech at Sigtuna Frukostklubb on 16
March.
On 11 April, Christian Altpeter had a lecture on UCDP at Senioruniversitetet in
Sundsvall.
Stina Högbladh and Samuel Taub presented the database to Ambassador Dr. Mohammed
A. Abdelghaffar, Sudanese diplomat and researcher at Khartoum University, on 12 April.
Therése Pettersson and Marcus Nilsson held a lecture about UCDP on the PASA course
on 15 May.
A UCDP brown bag seminar was held on 30 May in hall 1 at the department. Erik
Melander presented the UCDP GED. Possible cooperation with the Department of
Geography was discussed. In particular, the question of arranging courses for UCDP staff
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and researchers at the department was discussed, as well as possible cooperation for
applications.
Marcus Nilsson talked about the UCDP for students and alumni at the program for
international crisis and conflict management in Sollefteå.
SIDA held a presentation using UCDP data on 22 August.
Lotta Themnér held a lecture for the A-course students, on the 7 September, presenting
the recent trends and patters of armed violence.
Peter Wallensteen presented UCDP at VR’s Day on Studies of War on 20 September.
On 20 September, Peter Wallensteen gave a presentation to the Swedish Defense Council
using UCDP data.
On 26 September, Marcus Nilsson gave a lecture using UCDP data to Swedish Coast
Guard before their deployment to Somalia.
On 3 October, Johanna Ohlsson presented UCDP at Katedralskolan.
On 8 October, Stina Högbladh gave a lecture for M.A. course on DRC and UCDP data.
On 9 October, Samuel Taub gave an A-course lecture on human security issues using
UCDP data.
On 16 October, Uppsala University Diplomatic Forum took place with diplomats from
i.a. Rwanda, Romania, Turkey and Iraq. Peter Wallensteen, Lotta Themnér and Stina
Högbladh presented UCDP.
On 18 October, Peter Wallensteen gave a presentation regarding “Uppsala as a peace
city.”
Samuel Taub presented UCDP at Mörbyskolan.
On 10 December, Swedish Police was given a presentation by Marcus Nilsson, Johan
Brosché, and Mihai Croicu about geo-coding on Sudan.
On 14 December, Erik Melander presented a study on Work and Preparation of
Millennium Development Goals to the Swedish Foreign Ministry.
On 14 December, Peter Wallensteen had a presentation about World Development
Report at SIPRI.
Participation in conferences, seminars and workshops
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UCDP received good feedback by many visitors during ISA. Many papers presented at
ISA used UCDP data. Peter Wallensteen was granted access to a software program that
can be used for automated coding of texts.
Peter Wallensteen participated in the Engelsberg seminar series in Engelsberg on April
16-17, on the Roots of Violence.
Erik Melander presented UCDP on 26 April at the Workshop on Ethnicity and Conflict,
arranged by the DPCR, in Uppsala, on 26-28 April.
Peter Wallensteen and Erik Melander attended a conference on Quality Peace at Notre
Dame University on 3-5 May.
Peter Wallensteen participated in a seminar arranged by SIPRI’s North American office in
Bethesda, Maryland, May 7, and talked about conflict data.
Peter Wallensteen participated on a panel on Football and Peace at the Peace and Love
festival in Borlänge on 30 June.
Peter Wallensteen presented UCDP at the UNITAR course in Oslo, July 3.
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22 Sept., New UCDP database presentation was made with Erik Melander, Marie
Allansson, and Mihai Croicu at ENCoRe’s meeting in Oslo.
Peter Wallensteen attended an event, held at the Turkish representation to the UN
headquarters in NYC, regarding the report of the Secretary-General to the 66th General
Assembly of the United Nations (A/66/811) in which UCDP was mentioned, September
27. Mr. Jan Eliasson also attended the event and held a presentation on how research is
fruitful for the work of the UN.
On September 27, Peter Wallensteen was filmed throughout the day by a TV crew who
are working on a documentary film.
Mihai Croicu went to Zurich for a conference on database systems. PRIO, Essex and
Zurich were interested in using the same system as UCDP does; making it possible to link
the different data in the future.
ENCoRe meeting took place in Uppsala on non-violent conflict issues between 12-13
October.
On 24 October, Peter Wallensteen attended “Peace House” event.
Peter Wallensteen met with the Mediation Support Unit at UN in NY on 24th January
and participated in the meeting of the Academic Council of MSU, by Skype on
November 9.
International cooperation
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Continued cooperation with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University
of Notre Dame, USA, notably its Projects on the Peace Accords Matrix and Quality
Peace.
Within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) UCDP is involved
with the European Network for Conflict Research (ENCoRe). The Peace Research
Institute, Oslo (PRIO) and ETH Zurich are two examples of institutes that the UCDP
has increased cooperation with within the ENCoRe network.
2012 employees
Marie Allansson
Christian Altpeter
Jonas Bauman
Niklas Bäärnhielm
Gökhan Ciflikli
Mihai Croicu
Emma Edström
Stina Högbladh
Katie Konrad
Kornelia Kotsinas
David Larsson
Sara Lindberg-Bromley
Erik Melander
Marcus Nilsson
Johanna Ohlsson
Therése Pettersson
Christopher Shay
Daniel Simons
Margareta Sollenberg
Jacob Sommer
Ralph Sundberg
Samuel Taub
Lotta Themnér (formerly Harbom)
Niklas Törnqvist
Nina von Uexkull
Peter Wallensteen
Publications
By members of UCDP
Books
Brosché, J & Rothbart, D (2013) Violent Conflict and Peacebuilding: The Continuing Crisis in Darfur, Routledge,
Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution, London and New York.
Pettersson, Therése and Lotta Themnér, (eds.), 2012, States in Armed Conflict 2011, Uppsala University:
Department of Peace and Conflict Research Report 99.
Wallensteen, Peter (2012) Understanding Conflict Resolution: War, Peace and the Global System, London: Sage,
Third Edition, 338 p.
Book chapters
Allansson Marie, Jonas Baumann, Samuel Taub, Lotta Themnér, Peter Wallensteen, "The Arab Spring and
levels of violence." In Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI Yearbook 2012, Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Bauman, Jonas, Marcus Nilsson, Lotta Themnér & Peter Wallensteen (2012) “Organized violence in the
Horn of Africa, In Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI Yearbook 2012, Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Themnér, L & Wallensteen, P (2012) “Patterns of Organized violence, 2001-10”, In Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute SIPRI Yearbook 2012, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Högbladh, Stina, 2011. ”Peace agreements 1975-2011 - Updating the UCDP Peace Agreement dataset”, in
Pettersson Therése & Lotta Themnér (eds.), 2012, States in Armed Conflict 2011, Uppsala University:
Department of Peace and Conflict Research Report 99
Harbom, Lotta and Erika Forsberg, 2012 "Armed Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Africa, 1989-2007"
in Thomas Ohlson (ed.), From Intra-state War to Durable Peace. Conflict and its Resolution in Africa after the Cold
War, Dordrecht: Republic of Letters Publishing.
Wallensteen, Peter, Erik Melander and Stina Högbladh 2012. Peace agreements, justice and durable peace,
in Karin Aggestam & Annika Björkdahl, eds. Rethinking Peacebuilding. The Quest for Just Peace in the Middle
East and the Western Balkans. London: Routledge pp 125-139.
Wallensteen, Peter, Erik Melander and Frida Möller 2012. The International Community Response in I.
William Zartman, Mark Anstey and Paul Meertz (eds) The Slippery Slop to Genocide. Reducing Identity Conflicts
and Preventing Mass Murder, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, pp 280-305.
Wallensteen, Peter 2012. What's in a War? Lessons from a Conflict Data Program, in Mary Ellen
O'Connell (ed) What Is War? An Investigation in the Wake of 9/11. Leiden, Boston: Martinus Nijhoff
Publishers, pp 261-272.
Wallensteen, Peter 2012. Future Directions in the Scientific Study of Peace and War, in Vasquez, John A:
(ed) What Do We Know about War? Second Edition. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, pp
257-270.
Journal articles
Themnér, L & Wallensteen P (2012) “Armed Conflicts, 1946-2011”, Journal of Peace Research, 49(4): 565575.
Sundberg, R, Eck, K & Kreutz J (2012) “Introducing the UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset”, Journal of
Peace Research 49(2): 351-362.
UCDP Papers
Forsberg, Erika, Allard Duursma, and Laura Grant. Theoretical and Empirical Considerations in the Study
of Ethnicity and Conflict. Summary Report from an International Workshop at the Department of Peace
and Conflict Research, UCDP Paper No 8.
Selected articles, using UCDP data
Journal articles
Fjelde, Hanne & Nina von Uexkull (2012) “Climate triggers: Rainfall anomalies, vulnerability and
communal conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa”, Political Geography 31(7): 444-453.
Garfield, Richard M. DrPH, RN; Polonsky, Jonathan MPH; Burkle, Frederick M. Jr MD, MPH, DTM
(2012) “Changes in Size of Populations and Level of Conflict Since World War II: Implications for Health
and Health Services.”, Disaster Medicine & Public Health Preparedness 6(3): 241-246
Binningsbo HM, Loyle CE, Gates S, Elster J (2012) “Armed conflict and post-conflict justice, 1946-2006:
A dataset”, Journal of Peace Research 49(5): 731-740.
Dahl, M & Hoyland, B (2012) “Peace on quicksand? Challenging the conventional wisdom about
economic growth and post-conflict risks”, Journal of Peace Research 49(3): 423-429.
Hallberg. J.D. (2012) “PRIO Conflict Site 1989-2008: A Geo-Referenced Dataset on Armed Conflict”,
Conflict Management and Peace Science 29(2): 219-232.
Eck, K (2012) “In data we trust? A comparison of UCDP GED and ACLED conflict events datasets”,
Cooperation and Conflict 47(1): 124-141.
Brosché, Johan & Emma Elfversson, 2012. “Communal Conflict, Civil War, and the State: Complexities,
Connections, and the Case of Sudan”. African Journal on Conflict Resolution, Volume 12, Issue 1.
Fjelde, Hanne & Desirée Nilsson, 2012. “Rebels against Rebels Explaining Violence between Rebel
Groups“, Journal of Conflict Resolution 56(4): 604-628.
Hultman, Lisa, 2012. "Military Offensives in Afghanistan: A Double-Edged Sword", International Area
Studies Review 15(3): 230-248.
Hultman, Lisa, 2012. “Attacks on Civilians in Civil War: Targeting the Achilles Heel of Democratic
Governments”, International Interactions 38 (2): 164-181.
Hultman, Lisa, 2012. “COIN and Collateral Deaths: Patterns of Violence in Afghanistan, 2004-2009”,
2012, Small Wars & Insurgencies 23 (2): 245 - 263.
Nilsson, Desirée. 2012. "Anchoring the Peace: Civil Society Actors in Peace Accords and Durable Peace",
International Interactions 38(2):243-266.