Call for Papers: Monções Special Issue "Conflict and Peace Studies"

Driven by fears of a new war of global proportions in the context of the Cold War, the 1950s marked the emergence of academic approaches dedicated to understanding the roots of social conflicts and multiple forms of violence, with the aim of promoting conditions for peace. In this process, the Sociology of Conflict sought to analyze the tensions within modern societies, followed by Peace Studies, an interdisciplinary field that not only diagnosed the causes of violence, but also proposed paths to overcome it. These studies consolidated as an intellectual endeavor committed to both critical analysis and social transformation, inspiring generations of researchers to think of peace beyond the mere absence of war, incorporating dimensions such as social justice, equity, and human rights.

 

Despite its relevance, the debate on conflict and peace has been anchored in traditional perspectives from the field of International Relations, especially those inspired by paradigms of Political Science, which privilege state- and military-centered analyses. This narrow view ignores fundamental contributions from other disciplines, such as Sociology, Anthropology, Law, Political Economy, as well as Gender, Critical, and Post-Colonial Studies, which contribute to broadening our understanding of dynamics of violence and resistance in different contexts.

This special issue seeks to address this gap by promoting a multidisciplinary and pluralistic approach that engages with different intellectual traditions and historical experiences. In doing so, it challenges hegemonic narratives and opens space for marginalized voices, including perspectives from the Global South, where conflicts present contours that are often neglected by conventional theories. Therefore, the ambition is to expand the analytical scope of Conflict and Peace Studies, in addition to decentralize its epistemological production, recognizing the importance of local knowledge and intersectional approaches.

 

Furthermore, it is worth noting that Conflict and Peace Studies have a long tradition of institutionalization in Europe and the United States, where research centers and graduate programs dedicated to such agenda are already consolidated. In recent decades, however, this field has seen a significant growth in other regions, particularly Latin America, Africa, and Asia, where researchers have been developing innovative analyses based on their own historical and political realities.

 

In Latin America, for instance, these studies have expanded in response to challenges such as structural violence, internal armed conflicts, transnational crime, and struggles for memory and justice in post-dictatorial societies. In Brazil, although studies on and for peace are still incipient compared to other areas of the Humanities, there is growing academic and social interest in understanding and tackling the various forms of violence that mark the country, from socioeconomic inequality to state repression and structural racism.

 

This special issue aims to foster this debate, thereby contributing to the consolidation of Conflict and Peace Studies in Brazil. By bringing together research that articulates theory and practice, critical analysis, and the proposition of alternatives, we seek to enrich the academic debate, as well as to influence public policies and civil society actions focused on peacebuilding.

 

In this sense, we invite researchers from different fields of knowledge to submit original articles exploring, from diverse perspectives, the dynamics of social conflicts and the possibilities for peacebuilding. Among other topics, we especially encourage submissions discussing:

 

i) innovative theories and methodologies in Conflict and Peace Studies, with particular attention to interdisciplinarity with the fields of Anthropology and the Sociology of War and Peace;

 

ii) analyses of empirical case studies in Global South contexts;

 

iii) intersections between violence, race, gender, class, and coloniality;

 

iv) experiences of resistance, conflict mediation, and transitional justice; and

 

v) the role of social movements, non-governmental organizations, international institutions, and other non-state political actors in promoting peace.

 

By bringing together these perspectives, we hope to contribute to a more pluralistic field of International Relations; and to strengthen academic and public dialogue on one of the most pressing challenges of our time: building a just and sustainable peace.

 

Deadline for article submissions: March 25, 2026

Issue release: December 2026

 

Organizers:

Rafael Antonio Duarte Villa (CCP/USP)

Thiago Babo (CCP/USP)

Camila de Macedo Braga (CCP/USP)