The emergence of peace studies

الملخص EN

This paper touches on the circumstances leading to the introduction of peace studies in Sudan in the 1990s, by the Sudanese Ministry of High Education and Scientific Research.

The paper traces the global context and high demand for peace as a sub-discipline emerging out of international relations, and as well an activity by various actors including N.G.O.s and inter-governmental organizations.

The intensification of internal war in Sudan between North and South, before 2005, necessitated the introduction of peace programs at high education level to reverse and mitigate the mounting impacts of war that would presumably lead to the development of culture of violence.

Various universities in Sudan established peace centers at the graduate level offering graduate academic programs,and nonacademic peace- related programs, in response to the directives of the Ministry.

The paper adopted primary sources including interviews aprart from consulting some of the documents of these centres, and as well secondary sources examining some of the published literature on peace and conflict studies.