Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research

The Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK) at the Department of Political Science at the University of Heidelberg is a private organization dedicated to research, documentation and analysis of national and international political conflicts. HIIK e.V. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research, evaluation, and documentation of intra-, interstate and transnational political conflicts. It evolved from the research project "Konflikte seit 1945" led by Prof. Dr. Frank R. Pfetsch (University of Heidelberg) and financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG) from 1988-1991.

Conflict Barometer

The HIIK's annual publication Conflict Barometer describes the recent trends in global conflict developments, escalations, de-escalations, and settlements. Coup d'état, attempted coups d'états, terrorist attacks as well as implemented measures of conflict resolution are also reported. It is subdivided into five world regions and presents all present conflicts in detailed charts and short descriptions. The methodological approach consists of the conflict definition and the measuring of the conflict intensity.

Conflict definition

Conflicts are clashes of interest (differences of position) concerning national values (territory, secession, decolonization, autonomy, system/ideology, national power, regional predominance, international power, resources, other). These clashes are of a certain duration and scope, involving at least two parties (organized groups, states, groups of states, organizations of states) determined to pursue their interests and win their cases.

Conflict intensity

State of Violence	Intensity Group	Level of Intensity	Name of Intensity	Definition
non-violent	low	1	Latent Conflict	A positional difference over definable values of national meaning is considered to be a latent conflict if respective demands are ar ticulated by one of the parties and perceived by the other as such.
non-violent	low	2	Manifest Conflict	A manifest conflict includes the use of measures that are located in the preliminary stage to violent force. This includes for example verbal pressure, threatening explicitly with violence, or the imposition of economic sanctions.
violent	medium	3	Crisis	A crisis is a tense situation in which at least one of the par ties uses violent force in sporadic incidents.
violent	high	4	Severe Crisis	A conflict is considered to be a severe crisis if violent force is repeatedly used in an organized way.
violent	high	5	War	A war is a type of violent conflict in which violent force is used with a certain continuity in an organized and systematic way. The conflict parties exercise extensive measures, depending on the situation. The extent of destruction is massive and of long duration.

See also

• Armed conflict
• Peace and Conflict Studies
• Conflict resolution

External links

• Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK)

• Conflict Barometer published since 1992 as PDF-Download