Nafees Hamid, PhD

Here’s the embedded vid below of my opinion piece on how we can reduce the virtual blast radius of a terrorist attack by how we talk.

Pleased to publish @XCEPT_Research on the lessons from our qualitative research in the Middle East. These are combined with psychometric surveys, intervention tournaments, and RCTs to gain a wholistic picture of psycho-socio-structural drives of political violence and peace.

Important work we've published by @lock_nils. Personal adversities (death of family member, job loss) more predictive of protest behaviour than political adversities (war, conflict). Personal -> political. He and I, along w/Fiona McEwen, will publish the academic verison soon.

We published a new policy brief at @XCEPT about challenges surrounding Hezbollah’s demilitarisation. Drawing on interviews w/Hezbollah members, southern residents, & Lebanese officials @inna_veleva highlights the role of state absence & threats that sustain armed mobilisation

@dynohackula @inna_veleva @CSNS_UK @KCLSecurity @warstudies @KingsCollegeLon Seems like it was down temporarily but back up again. Thanks for flagging

@NafeesHamid @inna_veleva @CSNS_UK @KCLSecurity @warstudies @KingsCollegeLon link not working...

In this deeply researched book @inna_veleva takes us on a journey based on her countless hours of fieldwork with Iraq's PMUs. Touching on topics like identity politics, terrorism, and peace building. Order it now! manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526193063/

🎙️Dr @NafeesHamid speaks with @MichaelShipler from @SFCG_ about declining global cooperation and the rise of populism and authoritarianism, exploring how these divides can be bridged. ☁️ bit.ly/3N4A0oH 🟢 bit.ly/4kWbiDz 🍎 bit.ly/4qVYPRu

What comes after the rules-based order? Drawing on psychology, political philosophy & conflict resolution, @AlderdiceLord and @NafeesHamid explore what went wrong and what might come next. 📅 Wed 11 Mar, 17:00–18:30 📍 Bush House, @KingsCollegeLon 🎟️tickettailor.com/events/centref…

🎙️Dr @NafeesHamid speaks with @MichaelShipler from @SFCG_ about declining global cooperation and the rise of populism and authoritarianism, exploring how these divides can be bridged. ☁️ bit.ly/3N4A0oH 🟢 bit.ly/4kWbiDz 🍎 bit.ly/4qVYPRu

🎙️NEW | @NafeesHamid is joined by @MichaelShipler of @SFCG_, sharing insights from the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organisation. A @warstudies episode for @XCEPT_Research 👇 ☁️ bit.ly/3OwnXRC 🟢 bit.ly/40hrGVT 🍎 bit.ly/4aGh8Ec

“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.” Join us for a fireside chat with @AlderdiceLord and @NafeesHamid exploring the breakdown of the rules-based international order. 📅 Wed 11 Mar, 17:00–18:30 📍 Bush House, @KingsCollegeLon 🎟️tickettailor.com/events/centref…

It was great having @MichaelShipler on our podcast to talk about the fantastic work of Search for Common Ground @SFCG_. Even in a world of elite transactionalism, community-level peace building is vital for sustainable co-existence. He shares great insights on the role of artists, storytelling, and leadership. Stay tuned for when it's out!

What does Maduro's capture mean for leftist guerilla groups operating operating along the Colombian-Venezuelan border? I spent 6 weeks interviewing the leaders of FARC and ELN face-to-face to understand their mentality and goals. Here's some reflections: - Venezuela came up repeatedly in interviews. It was clear that these groups had an emotional and practical connection to the government. The practical side spanned both their narco-trafficking elements as well as support for their political agenda. - While it was clear that Maduro is not the inspiring character of Chavez, they made many excuses for his performance as a leader. They contended that he repeatedly won fair and free elections (widely disputed) and that all economic difficulties can be placed on Western governments and Venezuelan bourgeoisie. In essence, he's a pretty good leader operating in hostile conditions. But their allegiance was clear. - I also spoke to the Colombian government and representatives of the international community and it became clear to me that they did not understand the psychology of these groups. - They kept presenting these groups as rationally self-interested narco-traffickers whose political ideology was nothing more than historic window dressing. - After interviews, focus groups, and piloting of psycho-metric surveys I came to the conclusion that this is a simplistic picture. While some of them may be described in these terms, some of the time - it misses their political orientation. - ELN is a federation with an aging central leadership of questionable influence. Some federations leaders still hold strong political aspirations in tandem with their organised crime mentality. I was surprised when speaking to them with how fluently they spoke about their ideology. How in-depth they were able to go to discuss the underlying philosophy of their movement. This was not a shallow-window dressing type of discourse. This was a speech that belonged to true believers. - Indeed when piloting survey measures with them I found many to have "fused identities" and "sacred values" (despite most being atheists) - two key elements in the making of "devoted actors" - those who are willing to fight and die for their beliefs (the anti-thesis of rational actors). - I also met rank-and-file members, some of whom had been formerly part of non-ideological para-military/narco-trafficking groups. They switched to groups like ELN or FARC dissident groups partially for the appeal of the ideological stance. Even if their day-to-day life didn't change much it felt more meaningful to be doing the same type of activities for a group that ostensibly held a political agenda. - The ELN leaders even said to me "“[The government] don’t understand us. They think all we want is money. They don’t know how to negotiate with us." - If any govt wants to appeal, negotiate, deter, or affect their behaviour they must first understand what motivates them. Currently, they do not

Looking forward to hosting this book talk w/@nicholasdwright tomorrow. Register & join us! 📅 Weds 3rd Dec, 17:00-18:30 GMT 📍 Bush House, Strand Campus 🎟️ lnkd.in/e553pM8e See how the brain shapes behaviour in conflict & war, in this @CSNS_UK and @XCEPT_Research event.

Another great piece we just published via XCEPT. Please check it out!

Why do humans FIGHT, LOSE and WIN wars - and how can we use this self-knowledge about our own BRAINS to build a more PEACEFUL world? Talk tomorrow 5pm at King's College London. Thx @NafeesHamid for discussing my new book! Thx @LawDavF & top neuroscientists for endorsing. Thx @ShirazMaher

Really enjoyed hosting this one. Check it out!

Please JOIN US next Wednesday for a talk with @NafeesHamid on my new book on WAR and the BRAIN - 5pm, 3rd Dec at King’s College London! We'll discuss talking neuroscience to Columbian guerillas & deep in the Pentagon. Book very kindly endorsed by @LawDavF, @BeatriceHeuser & more!

So excited to talk with @NafeesHamid about my new book on war the brain - please join us on 3rd Dec at King’s College London!

Was very honoured to speak about what psychology and neuroscience can bring to peace mediation at this #EUCoP2025 side event hosted by Berghof Foundation. What struck me was the divergence of reactions to my and other speakers’ interventions. Some mediators were enthusiastic about it and wanted to integrate the insights immediately. Others showed resistance and almost hostility. Research has two potential avenues to contribute to practice (you can offer both). 1) The instrumental avenue: give a list of specific tools that practitioners can use. Give them an explicit decision-tree showing them when and how to use each tool. 2) The transformative avenue: change the lens through which the practitioner sees the task. Give them a new framework through which to view the problem such that it will inspire a whole new set of intuitions on their own. The won’t need new tools taught to them, they’ll create them. Those who were hostile were expecting only the former and were resistant to the latter. It takes vulnerability to say that maybe the way I’ve been looking at the world is limited; maybe I can benefit from a perspective shift. The problem with the second approach is that you can’t demonstrate its benefits unless the person is willing to try the new lens on. What helped was when the colleagues that they respected, advocated for it. This helped shift things via social norms. Some of those who were initially resistant came around.

We’re hiring! Come work as the project manager of @XCEPT_Research at King’s College London. XCEPT is an £6.03M FCDO-funded project at KCL that broadly examines the impact of trauma on pathways to peace and violence. We have data being collected with civilians and armed actors in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, South Sudan, and other locations. We’re an inter-disciplinary team conducting large-scale psychometric surveys, experiments, RCTs, and qualitative research. We engage directly with senior policy decision-makers and can make a real difference. Myself and Dr Fiona McEwen are the Co-PIs of this project and are looking to work with passionate people. Apply here! jobs.ac.uk/job/DOC646/res…