Amidst rising global tensions and a continuous increase of authoritarianism, polarisation and disinformation, the need for evidence-based solutions for conflict resolution, prevention and peacebuilding is now more crucial than ever before.
In the midst of this, the Folke Bernadotte Academy strives to act as a bridge between research and practice.
International and national actors that are working with peace and security in conflict-affected and fragile environments are today facing a multitude of new challenges that are emerging alongside the world order that is evidently taking new shape at this moment in time.
To support these actors in their efforts, FBA works as a knowledge-based organisation. For the purpose of achieving the best results, this entails that the staff at FBA makes sure to integrate research in all phases of their work in combination with contextual analyses and their own expertise.
In order to stay directly connected to relevant research, FBA works closely with highly esteemed researchers through its international research working groups. The members conduct research in geographic and thematic areas that are of high relevance to FBA’s work, and this community of researchers is a significant part of FBA’s evidence-based and effective peacebuilding work.
An example of how FBA is working to connect the two worlds of practice and research is the crowdsourcing method that was utilised earlier this spring when writing the paper Forecasting the Future: Key Trends for the Next Generation of UN Peace Operations. Ahead of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial held in May 2025, the Folke Bernadotte Academy was asked to gather insights from its global research network to forecast key trends and recommendations to inform policy, planning and partnerships, for peace operations to remain effective in an increasingly complex world.
Drawing from both FBA’s research working group members, as well as the agency’s wider network of research connections, the crowdsourced Forecasting Paper was put together in an effort to obtain quick answers that at the same time are grounded in current and high-quality research on the topic.
The method itself entails an expert survey where the researchers are asked to share their top-of-mind-reflections related to their research knowledge in the form of succinct input. The purpose of this is to get insight to the key considerations and perspectives among scholars. After the inputs from the researchers had been gathered, they were then coded and organised into overarching themes.
The results of the crowdsourced forecasting paper revealed multiple aspects that are of great importance when considering what future peace operations should look like and need to entail going forward. Researchers emphasized the need for clear, context-specific, and flexible mandates, and stressed that missions must be inclusive, locally anchored, and transparent to secure political support.
They also called for a return to the UN’s founding principles, using the Charter to guide interventions and ensure that peace operations contribute towards upholding dialogue, foster cooperation, and protect fundamental human rights. See the full paper for further details of the analysis and recommendations.
The results from the crowdsourced forecasting paper cover a multitude of different points and although the paper to a great extent confirms many of the already known challenges among both researchers and practitioners, it contributes to strengthening the joint efforts in the field of peace operations going forward. The crowdsourcing method thus allows FBA and its partners to get quick access to reliable knowledge, which in turn continues to ensure desired outcomes and tangible results.
The example of the crowdsourcing method highlights the importance of trustworthy and reliable resources when working with peace, security and development issues. It also reaffirms FBA’s convictions of the benefits of continuing to work closely with the researcher community.
In a world that is changing faster than ever and where the world order is shifting, this endeavour is, as previously stated, a highly relevant one. With this as a background the Folke Bernadotte Academy continuously seeks to work for a peaceful future, standing firmly on a knowledge-based foundation.
av Linn Runesson
Linn Runesson is a Master’s student in International Affairs at Linnaeus University. During the first half of 2025, she did an internship with the FBA research team.
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