Collection UKLSE-AS1OX01 - Oxford Research Group

ORG_Annual_Accounts_Report_2014.pdf Oxford_Research_Group_Accounts_2015_signed.pdf 2016_SIGNED_Annual_Accounts.pdf ORG_Annual_Impact_Report_2014_v2.pdf ORG_Report_2016_A4_webfinal.pdf ORG_Report_2017_v5.pdf 2018_SIGNED_Annual_Accounts.pdf May_03.pdf June_03.pdf July_03.pdf August_03.pdf Sept_03.pdf Oct_03.pdf Jan06.pdf Feb06.pdf March06.pdf April06.pdf May06.pdf June06.pdf July06.pdf Aug06.pdf 06-09e.pdf 06-10e.pdf 06-11e.pdf 06-12e.pdf 07-01e.pdf 07-02e.pdf 07-03e.pdf
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Reference code

UKLSE-AS1OX01

Title

Oxford Research Group

Date(s)

  • 2001-2020 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent, medium and format

820 document files, 48 audio files

Name of creator

(1982-2020)

Administrative history

The Oxford Research Group (ORG) was a charity, think-tank and non-governmental organisation in the UK that was active between 1982 and 2020. The group was founded by Scilla Elworthy, an anti-war activist and author, and officially incorporated as a charity in 1988. Originally based in Oxford, the ORG relocated their base of operations to London in 2006.

The work of the ORG primarily concerned research into non-violent resolutions to conflicts around the world and opening dialogue between conflicting parties in order to find and implement peaceful solutions. The ORG approached peacebuilding from a psychological perspective, with the intention of breaking the cycles of violence that they believed caused conflict in the first place. While the ORG was a secular, non-religious group, its foundation was partly inspired by the Quaker values of peace and equality, as Elworthy herself belongs to this denomination. Though the ORG was an anti-war group, they were not pacifists.

From its foundation until 2001, the work of the ORG focused on the debate surrounding nuclear weapons and disarmament, as well as dialogue between the UK and Chinese governments on security matters and how governments could move away from the security policies of the Cold War era and towards peacebuilding based on cooperation and dialogue. After the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the ORG shifted its attention to the War on Terror and peacebuilding in the Middle East in order to better understand the causes and consequences of conflict in the region, with the aim of opening dialogues between the parties involved to resolve such conflict.

In 2003, Elworthy was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize for the ORG's work. Both Elworthy and the ORG were also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988, 1989 and 1991.

Major programmes carried out by the ORG include:

  • The Sustainable Security Programme
  • The Strategic Peacebuilding Programme
  • The Remote Warfare Programme

Projects and groups that originated from the ORG include:

  • Every Casualty Worldwide
  • The Oxford Process
  • Peace Direct

Notable staff at the ORG included:

  • Dr Scilla Elworthy
  • Professor John Sloboda
  • Gabrielle Rifkind
  • Professor Oliver Ramsbotham
  • Professor Frank Barnaby
  • Professor Paul Rogers
  • Paul Ingram

In 2020, the ORG could no longer operate due to funding issues.

Archival/Digitisation history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The ORG transferred their born-digital material to the LSE Library between November 2020 and January 2021.

Description

This collection contains born-digital records created by ORG, mainly research outputs produced as part of the Sustainable Security, Strategic Peacebuilding, and Remote Warfare programmes, as well as ORG newsletters and blog articles from external contributors. Also included are podcasts and recordings of panel discussions. The majority of this material was downloaded from the ORG website and transferred to LSE Library when the organisation was wound down. The collection also includes some annual accounts and impact reports (a fuller set of annual reports is available in the ORG analogue collection).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Access information

Open

Copyright and licencing

As at April 2022, all material is still In Copyright. The majority of the content has previously been made available to the public through online publication on the ORG website but you may need to seek permission from the rightsholder(s) for your intended use.
We are able to grant permission for re-use of ORG-copyright material, but some series (for example the ORG Blog) include material that is copyright of individual authors. Please contact the Archives and Special Collections team via Library.Enquiries@lse.ac.uk for advice on re-use of material in this collection.

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Information on originals

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related material

The analogue papers of the ORG are available to consult in The Women's Library reading room at the LSE Library.
You can search the catalogue for the collection here

Digital Library related material

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Dates of creation revision deletion

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