International Peace Research Association

The International Peace Research Association (IPRA) is an international scholarly and professional network focused on peace research, peace education, and peace-building activity. Founded in 1964, it brings together educators, researchers, and affiliated national or regional organizations working across disciplines concerned with the causes of conflict, the conditions for peace, and methods of nonviolent transformation. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial brand, IPRA functions as a membership-based academic association and convening institution. Its work centers on connecting researchers and practitioners, encouraging national and international cooperation, and supporting the circulation of research intended to contribute to peaceful societies. The association organizes a major conference on a biennial basis, creating a forum for presenting research, developing collaborations, and discussing peace-related scholarship. It also supports peace-oriented journals and publishes a newsletter, extending its role beyond periodic events into continuing academic communication. A significant part of IPRA’s institutional structure is its commission-based approach. In 1973, it established the Peace Education Commission, which identifies and describes the work of IPRA members in peace education and related areas. This reflects the association’s broader interest in linking academic research with educational practice and public understanding. IPRA operates within a wider international peace-studies ecosystem that includes national and regional associations. The Asia-Pacific Peace Research Association and the Peace and Justice Studies Association are identified as affiliated organizations. IPRA is also a member of the International Science Council, linking it to a broader global framework for scientific and scholarly cooperation. The association’s activities are international in scope, but the available reference material does not specify a current headquarters, staffing scale, membership total, budget, or detailed governance structure. For the 2023–2025 term, Matt Meyer and Marìa Teresa Muñoz served as co-secretaries general. IPRA’s public identity is therefore best understood as that of a global academic network and nonprofit professional association whose principal offerings are knowledge exchange, conferences, publications, commissions, and institutional collaboration in the field of peace research.

The International Peace Research Association was established in 1964 as an international network for scholars and educators concerned with peace research and peace-building. Its formation reflected the development of peace studies as an organized field of academic inquiry and the need for institutions that could connect researchers across national and disciplinary boundaries. From its beginning, IPRA’s purpose has extended beyond the production of academic research. The association promotes cooperation among national and international organizations, encourages peace-building education, and supports the dissemination of scholarship addressing peace and conflict. Its activities have consequently combined professional networking, research communication, educational development, and institutional advocacy for peace-oriented inquiry. In 1973, IPRA created the Peace Education Commission. The commission provided a dedicated structure for identifying and describing the peace-education work undertaken by association members. Its establishment marked an effort to give greater visibility and organization to the educational dimension of the field, connecting theoretical research with teaching, curriculum development, and wider public learning. The association’s continuing program has included a conference held every two years. These gatherings provide opportunities for scholars and educators to present work, exchange ideas, form international partnerships, and debate approaches to peace-building. IPRA has also sponsored or supported peace-promoting journals and issued a newsletter, creating regular channels for communicating research and organizational information between conferences. IPRA is part of a broader network of peace and justice organizations. The Asia-Pacific Peace Research Association and the Peace and Justice Studies Association are identified as affiliates, illustrating the association’s links with regional and related scholarly bodies. Its membership in the International Science Council places it within an international system of scientific and academic cooperation. For the 2023–2025 period, Matt Meyer and Marìa Teresa Muñoz served as co-secretaries general. Publicly available reference material does not provide enough information to establish a complete chronology of presidents, secretaries, headquarters, membership figures, finances, or later leadership changes. The documented history nonetheless presents IPRA as a durable international association whose principal institutional functions are convening, publication support, peace education, and the development of collaborative peace research.

• 2023

  2023–2025 co-secretary general term begins

  [1]International Peace Research Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Matt Meyer and Marìa Teresa Muñoz were identified as the association’s co-secretaries general for the 2023–2025 term.

• 1973

  Peace Education Commission established

  [1]International Peace Research Associationen.wikipedia.org

  IPRA formed the Peace Education Commission to identify and describe the peace-education work of its members.

• 1964

  Association founded

  [1]International Peace Research Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The International Peace Research Association was established as a global network for educators and researchers working on peace research and peace-building.

An international, interdisciplinary association connecting peace researchers and educators while supporting scholarship, education, and collaboration aimed at peace-building.

• Academic event

  Biennial conference

  IPRA organizes an international conference every two years. The conference serves as a principal forum for presenting peace research, discussing peace-building and education, and building relationships among scholars, educators, and affiliated organizations.

• Research and education network · 1973

  Peace Education Commission

  Established in 1973, the Peace Education Commission provides an organizational focus for peace-education work within IPRA. It identifies and describes member activity in this area and helps connect research with educational practice.

• Publication

  Newsletter

  IPRA publishes a newsletter as a continuing communication channel for the association’s community. The available reference material identifies the publication but does not provide details about its title, frequency, circulation, or editorial structure.

• Scholarly publishing support

  Peace-promoting journal support

  The association supports the publication and dissemination of journals concerned with peace research and peace-building. Specific journal titles and the precise form of support are not established in the available material.

1. 1International Peace Research Associationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2International Peace Research Association official websiteiprapeace.org