politicalviolenceataglanceDear Readers,
After eleven incredible years, we have made the difficult decision to close the doors of Political Violence @ A Glance. We write this with a bit of sorrow but also a real sense of possibility for what’s ahead. It has been a wild and wonderful ride, and we are now ready for the next adventure.
Political Violence @ a Glance, edited by Barbara Walter, Erica Chenoweth, Joe Young, and Lindsay Morgan, has been an award-winning online magazine that aimed to answer questions on the causes and consequences of violence and protest in conflict-affected areas around the world. Our contributors—distinguished academic experts and researchers—have helped to unravel the implications of the global war on terrorism, explored the role of technology in repression and resistance, explained the proliferation of coups around the world, analyzed the rise of democratic backsliding and populist nationalism, considered the connections between pop culture, art, and war, and evolving norms around human rights, and much more.
From the very beginning, our mission was simple: to offer you, our readers, simple, straightforward analysis that delved into the complexities of political violence without relying on unnecessary academic jargon or lingo. Our goal was to bring research to policymakers and practitioners as they attempted to solve problems—and to encourage our academic friends and peers to ensure their research has an impact beyond the academy. Since 2012, PV@G has twice been honored as the year’s Best Group Blog (2014, 2018) by the International Studies Association’s Online Media Caucus, after winning their Most Promising New Blog Award in 2013. Our articles have been retweeted by major news outlets, posted on the morning briefing for major agencies in Washington D.C., raised awareness about alternatives to political violence, and gone viral. We are proud of the work of our contributors and the influence they have had.
We are closing the blog at a time when there is a grinding war of attrition being fought in Europe; simmering conflict among nuclear-armed superpowers; threats to democracy and rising authoritarianism; technologies fueling the spread of disinformation; and an active climate emergency that is implicated across all these things. The need for objective analysis that can help policymakers, practitioners, and ordinary people alike put these issues in context is as pressing as ever. Although PVG is closing its doors, the work of engaged scholarship will continue—and indeed, must continue. Policymaking and citizen participation in civic life require careful analysis that is trustworthy, objective, and honest. We, the editors, will remain engaged in this important work, and we trust that you—our readers and contributors—will do the same.
As we end this chapter, we want to express our deepest gratitude to all of you—our loyal readers. It is because of your engagement, support, and thoughtful engagement that this platform thrived. Your passion for knowledge and your desire to understand the complexities of political violence—and how to solve it—have inspired us to keep creating content these many years.
The archives of Political Violence @ A Glance will continue to be accessible, ensuring that this valuable knowledge resource will persist and reach future generations. We encourage you to revisit our articles and use them to understand relevant events which are certain to emerge in the future.
As we bid farewell to this beloved blog, we carry with us the memories of the remarkable journey we embarked on together. It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of your pursuit of knowledge and we are profoundly grateful for the experience we have shared.
With our best wishes,
Barbara, Erica, Joe, and Lindsay
4 comments
I thank the Editorial Team in this sharing of ideas grounded in evidence based critical thinking.
This publication will be missed.
So sorry to hear. Eleven years is a long time and everyone deserves a break, change, rest. But surprised no one else is taking it on — funding problem, lack of interest among possible replacements? Too big a project these days for any one group?
To each of you editors and contributors, thank you so much for your work and commitment to evidence and research based analysis of global geo political conflict. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find reliable, thought provoking and balanced information on global issues. (Cue Meta’s recent decision to block news content from its platform in Canada.) I’ve truly enjoyed and learned so much from your e-magazine these past few years. I will miss it very much.
Thank you for all the wisdom and hope you have brought to me and to so many of your readers. Please carry on with your engaged scholarship knowing you’ve made a huge positive difference to many, like me, who are working hard to create a world where political violence wanes and well-being is on the rise.