At a terrifying moment of indecision, the course of history may be determined by individual soldiers, fearful of making the wrong choice and gambling for their own survival.

Through In Practice: Lessons from Research, HFG scholars explore how their work may illuminate contemporary problems of violence. Drawing from diverse disciplines, the series highlights research that proposes solutions to violence or offers new perspectives on current or recent conflicts. Contributors connect their findings to urgent challenges such as the impact of third-party diplomacy on […]

Since well before the COVID-19 pandemic, epidemiologists have worried about the possibility that bird flu could jump to other species, including humans. That’s why recent news reports of the virus spreading to cows in Texas and subsequently infecting more than seventy humans set off alarm bells among scientists.  However, when pathogens jump from animals to […]

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, the role of outside countries in restoring peace has taken on heightened urgency. Historically, third-party countries have been willing to spearhead diplomatic efforts to stop international conflicts. The United States, for example, after sending approximately $120 billion in aid to Ukraine under President Biden, has […]

For many people living in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the possibility of interethnic violence was inconceivable. Until it wasn’t.  Conflict between conationals of differing ethnic or religious backgrounds is not a new phenomenon. But in a fractious world it is something to watch for—and to guard against.  With support from The Harry […]

HFG launches In Practice: Lessons from Research series with an article exploring how political violence, corruption and environmental conditions drive migration from Central America to the US.