CIDCM seeks to prevent and transform conflict, to understand the interplay between conflict and development, and to help societies create sustainable futures for themselves.

For more than 20 years, scholars and practitioners at CIDCM have sought ways to understand and address conflicts over security, identity, and distributive justice. CIDCM programs are based on the belief that "peace building and development-with-justice are two sides of the same coin" (CIDCM Founding Director, Edward Azar, 1987).

CIDCM's accomplished scholars, its expertise in data collection and analysis, and its direct involvement in regional conflict management efforts make the Center a unique resource for discovering enduring solutions to the world's most intractable conflicts.