Leadership in a divided world
From War Studies by Department of War Studies
February 25, 2026 · 60 min
About this episode
Dr Nafees Hamid interviews Michael Shipler about leadership and peacebuilding in a divided world.
In this episode, Dr Nafees Hamid speaks with Michael Shipler, King’s College London War Studies alumnus and Vice President of Leadership Development & Partnerships at Search for Common Ground (SFCG), the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organisation. With global cooperation declining and populism and authoritarianism on the rise, Nafees and Michael explore how those on opposite sides can be brought together. Drawing on SFCG’s work in conflict‑affected regions around the world, their conversation covers topics from moral injury to the use of art in peacebuilding, and why conflict itself isn’t the problem - it’s how we choose to manage it. Learn more about SFCG and their work here: https://www.sfcg.org/ This episode is produced as part of the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) programme, which seeks to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict‑affected populations and to support practical solutions for peace. Learn more at www.xcept-research.org.
People in this episode
Host: Dr Nafees Hamid
Guest: Michael Shipler
Topics covered
- leadership
- peacebuilding
- conflict management
- global cooperation
- populism
- authoritarianism
- art in peacebuilding
Keywords
- leadership
- peacebuilding
- conflict
- global cooperation
- populism
- art
- moral injury
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Search for Common Ground, King’s College London, Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends, XCEPT
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