Co-hosted with Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, the event brought together leading academics and practitioners to address questions about when and why political elites promote peacebuilding and compromise after conflict. 

Discussions were held about the dynamics of leadership and of formal institutions, the influence of economic environment, the role of civil society, and questions of transitional justice, with insights from Professor Louise Mallinder, Professor Marsha Henry, and Professor Kieran McEvoy.

Mitchell Institute Director Professor Richard English commented: "It was exciting to bring together experts from different academic disciplines and from different practitioner backgrounds to offer analysis and practical insights regarding one of the major challenges facing societies globally.

"The Mitchell Institute's ongoing collaboration with the Weatherhead Center at Harvard has been extremely productive, and this valuable conference reflected that strong relationship."

The event was the inaugural Conference of the Global Scholars Network on Identity and Conflict (GSNIC), a new partnership led by the Weatherhead Center in collaboration with the Mitchell Institute.

Weatherhead Center Director Professor Melani Cammett commented: "The inaugural GSNIC conference set an exciting tone for our global network. Our panelists addressed some of the most critical questions for these challenging times, and helped us to think through the range of factors that incentivise political and other leaders to stop violence and even to pursue peace.

"The conference showcased the value of having practitioners, civil society activists, and former government officials in dialogue with scholars to probe the connections between research and practical experiences on the ground. The cross-Atlantic partnership between the Mitchell Institute at Queen's and the Weatherhead Center at Harvard is extremely fruitful."

Funding for the conference was received from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Weatherhead Center at Harvard, and the North America Strategy Fund at Queen's.