# Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity and Conflict ![Profile of man with army fatigues and face covered wearing a blue helmet is seen through a car window.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2025-08/cluster-identity-politics-UN-photo.jpg?itok=-6Srcf8_) *Credit:* [*UN Photo / Harandane Dicko*](https://dam.media.un.org/asset-management/2AM9LOISQFRH?FR_=1&W=1457&H=874)## Addressing Ethnic and Religious Conflict **The Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity and Conflict will be dormant during the 2025–2026 academic year.** From Germany to Brazil, the world has witnessed the rise of ethno-nationalism over the past two decades, a trend which recently culminated with the deadly storming of the US Capitol in January 2021 by mostly white, right-wing protesters. The spectacle of insurrection against the world’s most stalwart democracy illustrates how far extreme identity politics can penetrate. This resurgence of far-right parties in Europe has polarized the public, resulting in the breakdown of communication and rising intolerance. In parallel, ethnic and sectarian violence and conflict are on the rise across the world—or at least show few signs of abatement—*making it urgent to understand why some communities develop norms and practices of toleration, achieve reconciliation, or resist the politicization of these identities*. Even if they are not the root cause of these conflicts, nationalism, ethnicity, and religion often *become* salient when political violence targets “others”—and they exhibit remarkable stickiness in social and political life. When intergroup tensions have ratcheted up, is it possible to mitigate the impact? Can a shared civic identity be (re)constructed in the wake of violence waged in the name of nationalism, ethnicity, or religion? Learning from cases of “success” and “failure” can help us answer these questions. Why do some places, such as South Africa, achieve relative success with transitional justice while other countries, such as Rwanda, face deep obstacles to postconflict reconciliation? Why were the Netherlands and Austria able to unwind transitional power-sharing arrangements to develop more effective democratic institutions while Northern Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and other countries remain locked into suboptimal governance arrangements cemented by power-sharing systems? Why have Christians and Druze in some villages and towns in the Chouf learned to live together peacefully after bloody violence during the Lebanese Civil War while others remain deeply antagonistic toward each other? This research cluster explores ethnic, religious, and other forms of identity-based politics, as well as ways to improve intergroup relations in diverse settings, by bringing together a network of scholars at different career stages from Harvard and other US- and globally based institutions who work on conflict, conflict resolution, and identity politics. Through workshops, seminars, and lectures, the cluster aims to establish lasting collaborations among researchers domestically and abroad that will forge innovative scholarship and draw on evidence from diverse global regions. Where relevant, the cluster also creates opportunities for scholars to translate their research into short, accessible, policy-oriented pieces and to engage directly with representatives from relevant government agencies and civil society organizations to share and discuss their findings. The questions at the heart of the research cluster promise to shed light on the prospects for coexistence in places around the world where the weaponization of ethno-religious and national identities during conflict has ripped apart societies. Practitioners and scholars increasingly acknowledge that interventions aimed at postconflict prejudice reduction and improved intergroup relations have yielded mixed results, and citizens are increasingly skeptical about NGO-led interventions to promote intergroup reconciliation. Research on how peacekeeping missions, national and local political institutions, local-level initiatives, or other approaches can foster peacebuilding more effectively can generate policy-relevant knowledge based on strong academic foundations. home ### Contact **Jessica Barnard** language [### Cluster Website ](https://sites.harvard.edu/wrc22-identity-politics/)Visit the Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity Politics website co\_present [### Cluster Seminar ](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/seminars/identity-politics)Learn about the Identity and Conflict Cluster Seminar (closed to the public) account\_balance [### Funding ](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/funding/faculty/weatherhead-research-clusters)Learn more about the funding opportunities for the Weatherhead Research Clusters ## Administration The Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity and Conflict is chaired by Professor Melani Cammett. Jessica Barnard is the cluster coordinator. [### Melani Cammett ](/people/melani-claire-cammett) Center Director; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity and Conflict; Faculty Associate (on leave 2025–2026); Harvard Academy Senior Scholar. Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Department of Government, Harvard University. **Research interests**: Conflict; religion and ethnicity; development; and Middle East politics. **Pronouns:** she/her/hers ![Melani Cammett.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-06/cammett_melani.jpg?h=f8f5c50e&itok=Pu-9tRiA) [### Jessica Barnard ](/people/jessica-barnard) Coordinator, Weatherhead Research Clusters on Global Climate Policy; on Identity and Conflict; and on Global History. ![Jessica Barnard.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-06/barnard_jessica.jpeg?h=2a61ce88&itok=0X-6h_o_) ## Current Affiliates (2025–2026) [### Jessica Barnard ](/people/jessica-barnard) Coordinator, Weatherhead Research Clusters on Global Climate Policy; on Identity and Conflict; and on Global History. ![Jessica Barnard.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-06/barnard_jessica.jpeg?h=2a61ce88&itok=0X-6h_o_) [### Melani Cammett ](/people/melani-claire-cammett) Center Director; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity and Conflict; Faculty Associate (on leave 2025–2026); Harvard Academy Senior Scholar. Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Department of Government, Harvard University. **Research interests**: Conflict; religion and ethnicity; development; and Middle East politics. **Pronouns:** she/her/hers ![Melani Cammett.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-06/cammett_melani.jpg?h=f8f5c50e&itok=Pu-9tRiA) [### Marko Kljajić ](/people/marko-kljajic)Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity and Conflict. PhD, Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison. **Research interests:** Postconflict reconciliation; political violence; transitional justice; collective acknowledgment; collective victimhood; and western Balkans. ![Headshot of Marko Kljajić](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/kjiajic-mako.jpg?h=ff627074&itok=uFoajrVp) [### Pepi Pandiloski ](/people/pepi-pandiloski)Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Identity and Conflict. PhD, Harris School of Public Policy, The University of Chicago. **Research interests**: Political economy and development with regional focus on the Balkans, focused on questions in identity, culture, and social networks. ![Headshot of Predrag Pandiloski.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8891/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/pandiloski-predrag.jpg?h=b9622cf2&itok=Gnb-JRPY) [ View All People arrow\_circle\_right ](/people) --- ## All Weatherhead Research Clusters Born out of a need to complement the Center’s traditional focus of supporting individual faculty and student research, our Weatherhead Research Clusters revolve around hefty questions for the social sciences and the world. These research clusters represent core faculty interests, and aim to make a significant contribution by pushing the frontier of knowledge in their respective fields. Open all sections Close all sections ### Business and Government expand\_more When business is not part of the solution, it is frequently part of the problem. By better understanding the political economy of business-government relations in the contemporary world, we hope to provide new insights into how business influence can be a positive force for democracy and development. Our work thus focuses on several broad problems: strategies of business influence; firm responses to deglobalization; the politics of deindustrialization; and concentration, regulation, and technology. We aim to address these themes by bringing together a multidisciplinary group of scholars at all career stages to reexamine and revitalize the study of business and politics. [Learn more about the business and government research cluster >](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/weatherhead-clusters/22-business-and-government) ### Comparative Inequality and Inclusion expand\_more How do we extend cultural membership to the greatest number in society? Gain a better understanding of the social and cultural processes behind recognition gaps? Determine how social scientists and policy makers can better respond to help make societies more inclusive? By bringing together academics from a variety of disciplines and institutions, the cluster fosters a research community that seeks to build up the systemic theory around inequality and recognition gaps and create sustained opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas. Cluster affiliates have studied a wide range of topics—including racism, xenophobia, homophobia, immigration, destigmatization, incorporation, citizenship, indigeneity, and more—across various national and transnational contexts. [Learn more about the comparative inequality and inclusion research cluster >](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/weatherhead-clusters/comparative-inequality-and-inclusion) ### Global Climate Policy expand\_more Addressing climate change requires global collective action, underpinned by international institutions, frameworks, and policies. However, current climate action is moving too slowly—due to unwieldy policy structures and obstacles presented by multipronged core missions, among other reasons. This research cluster aims to accelerate the pace and scale of climate action by identifying and developing new global policy initiatives that address the challenges at hand. We leverage experts across many fields at Harvard and MIT to generate policy ideas, galvanize action, and engage students and alumni toward a deeper understanding of international climate coordination. [Learn more about the global climate policy research cluster >](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/weatherhead-clusters/25-global-climate-policy) ### Global History expand\_more Global history is one of the leading new approaches in recent years that has helped to transform the study of the past. The contemporary trends summarized under the term “globalization” have lent urgency to research that examines historical processes, networks, identities, and events across the boundaries of the nation-states that traditionally served as the privileged framework for much of the discipline. Historians worldwide have contributed to exciting research on the trends that so many societies have undergone together. In the process, global history has drawn on the expertise of political scientists, sociologists, art historians, economists, anthropologists, and others. This research cluster was designed to build on and focus its faculty leadership in new directions for international study. [Learn more about the global history research cluster >](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/weatherhead_initiative/11_global_history) ### Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights expand\_more The deliberate targeting of LGBTQI+ communities is part of an increasingly coordinated and well-resourced transnational strategy to polarize societies, weaken democratic institutions, and expand illiberal influences. This rising transnational threat is in many respects a reactionary backlash against hard-earned advances won by and for LGBTQI+ people over the last generation. This research cluster examines the interplay of state and nonstate actors as leading drivers of this global backlash against democracy and human rights. We convene leading human rights scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and activists to produce cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, data-informed policy recommendations, and new public engagement and culture change strategies to promote the safety and security—and protect and advance the human rights—of LGBTQI+ people worldwide. [Learn more about the global LGBTQI+ human rights research cluster >](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/weatherhead-clusters/25-global-lgbtqi-human-rights) ### Identity and Conflict expand\_more Ethnic and sectarian conflict are on the rise across the world—or at least show few signs of abatement—making it urgent to understand why some communities develop norms and practices of toleration, achieve reconciliation, or resist the politicization of these identities. When intergroup tensions have ratcheted up, is it possible to mitigate the impact? Can a shared civic identity be (re)constructed in the wake of violence waged in the name of nationalism, ethnicity, or religion? This research cluster explores ways to improve intergroup relations in postconflict countries by bringing together a worldwide network of scholars that will draw on evidence from diverse global regions. [Learn more about the identity and conflict research cluster >](https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/weatherhead-clusters/22-identity-politics) --- ## Valuing Accessibility The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs welcomes affiliates with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you are associated with the Weatherhead Center or one of its programs and would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please get in touch with your program coordinator in advance of your participation. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance, if possible. Please note that the university will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability. See also:- [ Research Clusters ](/content-types/research-clusters) - [ Current Research Clusters ](/content-types/current-research-clusters)