Applied Conflict Transformation Studies - ACTS

Action Research runs through the ACTS programme to connect practice, reflection and academic inquiry, strengthening how practitioners understand and engage with their realities.

ACTS brings together peace practitioners from across the region to deepen their understanding, reflection, and engagement with conflict through theory, practice and shared learning.

Theory in conversation with lived experience. A learning community built through critical exchange, honest reflection, and the sharing of conflict realities from across the region. As Module 1 closes, it leaves a cohort already building the trust, discipline, and depth that meaningful peace practice requires, and a strong foundation for the journey ahead.

In peace practice, ideas cannot be carried forward just because they are established. They need to be tested against lived realities, questioned for what they reveal and what they leave out, and engaged with seriously enough to sharpen practice. In Module 1, students built critiques of conflict theories through research, discussion, and concrete cases from their own contexts, deepening analytical discipline and strengthening the ability to work with theory in a way that is rigorous and grounded in practice.

ACTS places strong emphasis on conflict analysis because without a grounded understanding, work on conflict can easily repeat the patterns it seeks to change. Drawing from their own contexts across the region, students approached analysis as a practice, not just a tool, one that asks us to slow down, question assumptions, and be more nuanced in how conflict is understood. This is what enables peace practitioners to engage with conflict with greater clarity, responsibility, and intention.

Transformative Peace Leadership is one of the core strands of the ACTS programme, grounded in the belief that investing in leadership is one of the most powerful levers for change in conflict-affected settings. It is also a space for peace practitioners to pause, reflect, and practice the kind of reflexivity that sustains meaningful work grounded in shared values, care, and a commitment to doing this work well. This is part of our accompaniment approach, walking with the cohort throughout their entire ACTS journey.

Investing in leaders is central to what ACTS is and what it hopes to make possible.

We are grateful to Brot für die Welt(Bread for the World) for sharing our values and commitment to this work, and for finding the time to connect with the current cohort and graduates. Their visit was an opportunity to hear directly from those doing the work, about the realities they are navigating, the questions they are sitting with, and the difference this kind of investment in leadership makes on the ground. Thank you to more than 15 years of trust, partnership, and a shared vision for peace and leadership.

We proudly welcome the 22nd batch of the ACTS MA Programme as they begin their first module. This diverse and dynamic group of practitioners from across the region comes together with a shared commitment to engaging conflict as a space for learning and transformation.

Over the next two weeks, students will immerse themselves in a rigorous learning process, blending research, lived experience, and deep reflection. As they unpack the complexities of conflict, they will also cultivate the analytical depth, ethical clarity, and practical knowledge that define the ACTS approach.

This is more than the start of a module, it is the beginning of a transformative journey in leadership, practice, and purpose.

Huge congratulations to our ACTS PhD Candidates - Dr Atikah Nuraini, Dr Fred Lubang, and Dr Jaya Luintel on the successful defence of their doctoral research!

This achievement is more than a title, it reflects years of deep commitment, critical inquiry, persistence and the steady support of ACTS faculty and Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia.

We celebrate not only what you’ve accomplished, but the impact you will continue to make in advancing peace practice and transforming conflict in meaningful ways. We look forward to their continued contributions to peace building efforts.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We invite you to join us in a memorial service for Simon Fisher, a cherished member of our ACTS community and former faculty. Simon journeyed with many of us as a teacher, mentor, and peacebuilder, and his presence has deeply shaped our shared path.

Let us come together to celebrate his life, honor his contributions, and hold one another in this time.

Below is the link to the memorial service. The service starts at 14:30 GMT on March 25, 2026. The stream should become live about 15 minutes before.

Main link
https://funeral-av.co.uk/simon-fisher-wednesday-25th-march-2026

Backup link (if the other one fails)
https://vimeo.com/event/5810335

Feel free to share the links widely. It should be possible to view for 24 hours after the service.

Thank you!

Simon Fisher

The ACTS learning community is deeply saddened by the passing of Simon Fisher! We lost another good soul and a champion of peace!

May you rest in peace!