About IDCR
The Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (IDCR)
The Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (IDCR) works on the establishment and maintenance of democratic institutions and the prevention and resolution of conflicts through a wide range of knowledge transfer activities that will be of interest to policymakers, think tanks, non-governmental organisations, and private companies.
The Institute provides a portal for sharing and accessing knowledge based on rigorous social scientific analysis, legal and normative frameworks, and practical experience of working on national and international projects and programmes.
This knowledge base addresses key topics, such as the quality of democracy, corruption and good governance, elections and electoral behaviour, accountability and corporate governance, peacekeeping and peace building, and the systematic analysis of information for evidence-based policy making.
Directed by Professor Todd Landman from the Department of Government, the Institute is engaged in the following projects with national and international partners:
- parliamentary strengthening
- democratic accountability of service delivery
- democratic governance and sustainable human development
- assessing the quality of democratic governance
- training in the areas of democracy, law and mediation
- software development and web tools for mapping, monitoring and analysing country governance performance
In working with a variety of stakeholders within the University and with partner organisations at the local, national, and international level, the Institute engages in the following key activities:
- consultancy and policy advice
- information provision
- training, courses, professional development, and accreditation
- preparation for conflict resolution missions
- public events, conferences, experience exchange and networking
Alongside other units in the University working on related topics, the Institute will be housed in a visionary, state-of-the-art building designed by world famous architect Daniel Libeskind , which will be the flagship of the new Knowledge Gateway at the University of Essex.
The IDCR is a member of the Peace Science Society, UK Sustainable Investment and Finance (UKSIF), and as a unit within the University of Essex, the UN Global Compact.
