Conflict and Data: The Pivotal Role of Academia and Professional Associations

Oregon Convention Center 

Conflict, a pervasive and often destructive force, has far-reaching consequences on the global stage. In the quest to understand and mitigate such disputes, data emerges as a crucial tool, providing insights that can guide effective interventions. Universities and professional associations, with their reservoirs of knowledge and expertise, are uniquely positioned to influence conflict resolution. Yet, the question remains: should these institutions maintain neutrality, or actively engage in addressing conflicts head-on? We will discuss some experiences considering the war on the Tigray region of Ethiopia from 2020-2022. The role of universities and professional associations in preventing and mitigating conflict is a complex and multifaceted issue. As centers of knowledge and ethical guidance, these institutions have the potential to make significant contributions to peacebuilding efforts. It is imperative that they embrace this challenge, actively participating in the discourse and actions necessary to resolve conflicts and uphold the principles of justice and international law. The path forward is one of engagement, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to the betterment of society. We will investigate the role of local and international academic and professional entities in documenting, analyzing and providing policy input. We will use our article in the Significance magazine "Statistics in a Civil War: The Case of the Tigray Health System' https://academic.oup.com/jrssig/article/19/4/8/7029603?login=false to provide further insight about the challenges we faced as researchers.