LibGuides: PCS 211: Introduction to Peace Studies: Peace in the News

Peace in the News

Use the resources on this page to explore peace in the news. A note from Professor Grobelski about your current events assignment: Sign up for a date to present a “Peace in the News” story on our Moodle page. Then, be on the lookout for news items relevant to our course. You can look in national and local newspapers, magazines, TV or radio broadcasts, and online outlets. When you locate the news item you want to share, post the information and link to our Moodle discussion board AND submit your written assignment to the “Peace in the News” Moodle dropbox. Find detailed instructions in Moodle. Be ready to briefly talk about your contribution during the class meeting you signed up for. Each student must contribute at least once. No student should use the same news story - so before you post, make sure your story hasn’t already been claimed! (With credit and thanks to Dr. Peter Verbeek at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for this assignment idea.)

Student Protests Over the War in Gaza

Photo credit: "Students march, encamp for Palestine" by Joe Piette.

Peace in the News Example: Barbie and Oppenheimer

"'Barbie' Movie Opens in Japan After Atomic Bomb Controversy" (Reuters, August 11, 2023)
"Critics Object to Film's Victim Erasure: 'Oppenheimer' Angers Japanese Americans, Anti-nuclear Advocates and Historians" (Los Angeles Times, August 7, 2023)
"FOCUS: Memes Win U.S. Fans for 'Oppenheimer' but Raise Eyebrows in Japan" (Kyodo News, August 16, 2023)
"The Navajo Suffered from Nuclear Testing: Oppenheimer Doesn’t Tell Our Story" (Time, July 21, 2023)

Learn More About the War in Ukraine

News Articles & Reports

Ukraine (PBS News)
Ukraine Invasion - Explained (NPR)
How Russia’s War on Ukraine Is Worsening Global Starvation (The New York Times, January 2, 2023)
The War in Ukraine Triggered a Global Food Shortage (Brookings Institution, June 14, 2022)

Academic Articles

Lichterman, Andrew. "The Peace Movement and the Ukraine War: Where to Now?" Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 5, no. 1 (2022): 185-197.
Colvin, Victoria and Phil Orchard. "Forced Deportations and the Ukraine War: Russian Culpability in Atrocity Crimes, Violence: An International Journal, 3, no. 2 (2023): 281–300.
Serhii, A. Shevchuk, Vyshnevskyi, Viktor I. and Olena, P. Bilous. "The Use of Remote Sensing Data for Investigation of Environmental Consequences of Russia-Ukraine War," Journal of Landscape Ecology 15, no. 3 (2022): 36-53.

Tip: Search in the Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament to explore further.

Streaming Video

Putin's Road to War (PBS, Frontline 2022)
"The inside story of what led to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. The events that shaped the Russian leader, the grievances that drive him, and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe."

Newspapers (Online)

Use these databases to search for full text articles from US and global newspapers.

Access World News (Newsbank) This link opens in a new window
Provides the full text of global, regional and local news sources. Coverage ranges from over 40 Minnesota sources to international sources from over 200 countries.
US Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Indexing and selected full text access to over 350 newspapers from around the world. Archival coverage begins in 1985 for some titles. Access is provided by eLibraryMN (ELM).

Direct Links to Specific Newspapers

Use these links to search for full text articles on your topic in major newspapers.

Conflict Trackers

Global Conflict Tracker
The Center for Preventive Action's Global Conflict Tracker is an "interactive guide to ongoing conflicts around the world of concern to the United States." This tracker focuses on US interests.
Ten Conflicts to Watch in 2024
Use this "visual explainer" to learn about conflicts to watch in 2024. The report is presented by the International Crisis Group, an "independent organisation working to prevent wars and shape policies that will build a more peaceful world."
Today’s Armed Conflicts: Rule of Law in Armed Conflict Online Portal
Geneva Academy's Rule of Law in Armed Conflict Online Portal "classifies all situations of armed violence that amount to an armed conflict under international humanitarian law."