Given that violence forms a manifest problem for a society, the mere halting or preventing of manifestations of violence is an obvious first step in the right direction, but dealing with conflict requires a lot more consideration: the underlying dimensions also need to be analysed.

The Peace Institute focuses on potential sources and likely causes of violence. In addition, the Institute examines social processes that are conducive to the conditions for peace, at local and at international level. The starting-point of the research is concrete problems or striking observations that require further analysis. What role does violence play in the lives of young people? How do people deal with the commemoration and the remembrance of conflicts? And what is the impact of democratic political structures on peace?

Given that the significance of peace depends on the social, political, economic, and cultural context, the research also involves continuous reflection about the concepts used.