The 2025 theme for the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (APA Division 48) is “Resisting Oppression, Pursuing Justice.” This theme reflects the urgent need to address alarming global trends, including increasing repression of human rights advocacy, escalating threats to vulnerable populations, and the rise of authoritarian governance. These challenges highlight the critical role of peace psychologists in advancing research, teaching, practice, and activism aimed at combating these harmful dynamics and promoting equitable and just societies.
Division 48 Vision Statement
As peace psychologists, our vision is the development of sustainable societies through the prevention of destructive conflict and violence, the amelioration of its consequences, the empowerment of individuals, and the building of cultures of peace and global community.
Division 48 Goals
To encourage psychological research, education, and training on issues concerning peace, nonviolent conflict resolution, reconciliation, and the causes, consequences, and prevention of war and other forms of destructive conflict;
To provide an organization that fosters communication among researchers, teachers, and practitioners who are working on peace issues; and
To apply the knowledge and the methods of psychology in the advancement of peace, non-violent conflict resolution, reconciliation, and the prevention of war and other forms of destructive conflict.
01.
–Small Grants
Division 48 invites applications for small grants for research, education, and community projects in peace psychology
02.
–Teach Peace
Division 48 supports education efforts in peace psychology in K-12, undergraduate, and graduate settings
03.
–Awards
Division 48 gives membership awards including outstanding service, lifetime achievements, and peace practitioner awards.
04.
–Publications
Division 48 publishes professional journals and newsletters
Psychologists Call for Justice and Accountability: Confronting the Atrocities Against Palestinian Lives
“We are further committed to the preservation of human life, respect for human dignity, and the pursuit of a just peace that provides freedom, security, and equal rights for all in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Israel, and the surrounding region. For us, as the carnage and destruction continue, silence and passivity are unacceptable.”
Peace Psychologists Oppose Looming Mass Deportations
“The Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (Division 48 of the American Psychological Association) expresses its alarm and outrage over the looming possibility of the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States. As an organization committed to promoting peace through psychology-based knowledge and practice, we deplore this inhumane escalation in the adversity already faced by over 12 million workers, parents, and children who are part of our communities and contribute to the U.S. economy…”
