Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

The author critiques a suggestion by the Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education that peace research is a subset of defense research, arguing that peace research must remain a distinct field focused on peace as a public good. The text highlights a decline in the visibility and credibility of the peace movement in the 2020s and warns against the uncritically accepted militarization of public discourse in Norway. The author urges peace researchers to actively participate in public dialogue to define structural peace and steer governance, drawing inspiration from post-Soviet civil society activists who continue to advocate for peace despite high personal costs.

• The author rejects the assertion made by the Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education that peace research should be considered a subcategory of defense research, stating that peace research is fundamentally about peace and must not be reduced to a subfield of national defense efforts.
• The peace movement in 2025 is described as being in a state of crisis, characterized by low public support and limited visibility, with 'peace talk' often dismissed as naive or as an obstacle to national defense.
• The author warns against the 'militarization of public discourse' in Norway and argues that academics have a responsibility to center peace as the objective of politics to influence governance and international navigation.
• The author notes that post-Soviet civil society—including Ukrainian academics, Russian journalists, Belarusian feminists, and Turkmen activists—continues to develop and argue for ideas of 'structural peace' despite significant personal risks.

APA

Sandvik, K. B. (2025). Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://www.prio.org/comments/1780

Chicago

Sandvik, Kristin Bergtora. Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2025. https://www.prio.org/comments/1780.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Sandvik |first1=Kristin Bergtora |title=Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2 June 2025 |url=https://www.prio.org/comments/1780 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{sandvik2025peace, author = {Sandvik, Kristin Bergtora}, title = {{Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)}}, publisher = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://www.prio.org/comments/1780}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }