AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

Demography of Conflict and Violence: An Emerging Field


This introductory article focuses on a new field in demography, the Demography of Conflict and Violence. A research program on this field is proposed as a result of activities of the IUSSP Working Group on Demography of Conflict and Violence, in particular the Group's seminar in Norway in November 2003. The articles in this special issue of EJP are a selection of papers presented at the seminar. The first article presents new estimates of combat deaths in the world since 1946, whereas the second article looks at the role of demographic estimates in war crime proceedings at international criminal courts. The rest of the articles are concerned with the mortality consequences of political conflict in various settings. Another set of articles from the seminar is published in a special issue of the Journal of Peace Research. The articles are summarized and reviewed using the broader framework of issues inherent in the Demography of Conflict and Violence.