The International Peace Academy, New York, and the United Nations University, Tokyo, are undertaking a joint research project on politically motivated violence in South and South-East Asia. The centerpiece of this project will be a multi-author volume edited by Itty Abraham (University of Texas), Meredith Weiss (East-West Center) and Ted Newman (UN University). The volume will aim to advance the understanding of underlying and long-term dynamics of politically motivated non-state violence in both regions, including terrorism, guerrilla warfare, sectarian violence, militia activity, riots and assassinations.

It also hopes to yield policy recommendations for effective non-military counter-terrorism strategies. The project involves a group of around a dozen international researchers who are leading regional experts with a long track record of work on political violence.

Two workshops will be convened in the course of this project. The first workshop will bring the volume editors and authors together at the outset of the project in order to develop a common framework and concept. This workshop took place on 15-16 March 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and hosted by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. The second workshop, at which draft final chapters will be discussed and reviewed, is planned for July 2007 and will be hosted by the Institute for Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.