Oxford Research Group

Oxford Research Group (ORG), established in 1982, was named in April 2005 as "one of the top 20 think tanks in the UK by The Independent newspaper". ORG describes itself as an "independent non-governmental organization and registered charity, which works together with others to promote a more sustainable approach to security for the UK and the world."

In 2003, ORG was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize for its "work on the promotion of disarmament and non-violent methods for resolving conflict."

They are listed in the "supporters" section of the website of Partners for Democratic Change.

Advisors (2010)
Accessed April 2010:


 * Amitav Acharya, Mariano Aguirre, Lord John Alderdice, Ahmed Badawi, Michael Brearley, Susan Breau, David Broucher, Malcolm Chalmers, Neta Crawford, Alastair Crooke, Amira Dotan, Orit Gal, Carolina Hernandez, Eric Herring, Isabel Hilton, Khaled Hroub, Lord King of Bridgewater, Tony Klug, Bassma Kodmani, Daniel C. Kurtzer, Nick Mabey, Hanny Megally, Richard Moyes, Laurie Nathan, Sir David Omand, Gianni Picco, Tom Porteous, Michael Renner, Everett Ressler, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Malcolm Savidge, Salman Shaikh, Jay Silverstein, Michael Spagat, Azzam Tamimi, Mirsad Tokaca

Affiliations
ORG "works closely with other organisations in the UK and abroad, and is an active member of Crisis Action, the NGO Peace and Security Liaison Group, the WMD Awareness Programme, the International Relations and Security Network and the Europe-Latin America Forum."

Forums
"In late 2006, the European Union awarded Oxford Research Group, the Middle East Policy Initiative Forum (MEPIF) and Conflicts Forum €500,000 over two years under its Partnerships for Peace programme. This project is designed to help develop more inclusive and legitimate approaches to transforming the Middle East conflict...

"The entire EU-funded initiative is overseen by ORG. The Israel-Palestine programme is led by Gabrielle Rifkind and Ahmed Badawi in consultation with a high level of international expertise on the Middle East, including strategic and psychological consultation."

Recording Casualties in Armed Conflict
"This project is has received grant support from The Funding Network and The Network for Social Change. The project is co-directed by ORG’s Executive Director, John Sloboda, and Hamit Dardagan, ORG’s Consultant on Civilian Casualties in War.

Advisory Group

"The project has an advisory group with the following current membership:

Resources
 * Susan Breau - Reader in International Law, University of Surrey
 * Eric Herring – Senior Lecturer in Politics, Bristol University
 * Andreas Kleiser - International Commission on Missing Persons
 * Richard Moyes - Director of Policy & Research, Landmine Action UK
 * Neta Crawford - Professor of Political Science, Boston Univeristy
 * Jay Silverstein - Professor of Anthropology, University of Hawaii
 * Michael Spagat - Department of Economics, Royal Holloway University of London
 * Mirsad Tokaca - Director, Research and Documentation Centre of Sareajevo


 * BtSelem
 * Iraq Body Count
 * Research and Documentation Centre
 * The Human Security Report Group

Human Security and the Middle East
Accessed February 2008:

Directors
 * Gabrielle Rifkind
 * Ahmed Badawi

Researchers and Assistants
 * Kayte Rath
 * Monika Barthwal

Special Advisers
 * Lord Alderdice
 * Michael Brearley
 * Alastair Crooke
 * Tony Klug
 * Bassma Kodmani
 * Chris Langdon
 * Gianni Picco
 * Oliver Ramsbotham
 * Sir Malcolm Rifkind
 * Azzam Tamimi
 * Husam Zomlot

Funding
ORG is "entirely funded by charitable grants, individual donations and, more recently, by peace programmes within international institutions such as the European Union and NATO," with about "two thirds of financial support com[ing] from trusts and foundations in the UK and USA. Major recent funders include:


 * Ford Foundation
 * Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
 * Ploughshares Fund (US)
 * Funding Network
 * Network for Social Change
 * Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation
 * Sigrid Rausing Trust

"The European Union awarded the ORG €500,000 over two years starting late 2006 for a project entitled From Crisis to Opportunity: Inclusive Approaches to the Arab-Israeli Conflict. The project will help to develop more inclusive and legitimate approaches to transforming the Middle East conflict, based on a series of in-region dialogues and policy initiatives, bringing previously marginalised groups into the centre of the work. The project is a collaborative initiative between Conflicts Forum, the Middle East Policy Initiative Forum, and ORG."

Leadership
As of October 2007, the following personnel are listed as ORG "Board, Patrons and Associates":

Directors

 * John Sloboda, Executive Director
 * Gabrielle Rifkind, Director
 * Ahmed Badawi, Director

Associates
Oxford Research Group: Associates

Trustees

 * Oliver Ramsbotham, Chair
 * Frank Boulton
 * Martin Gillie
 * Scilla Elworthy
 * Gill Reeve
 * Hugh Miall
 * Philippa Drew
 * Sue Gillie

Patrons

 * Margaret Anstee - Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (1987-93)
 * Lorna Arnold - UK atomic energy historian
 * Dipankar Banerjee - Executive Director, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo
 * Hugh Beach - Director, Council for Arms Control (1986-89); Master General of the Ordnance, UK Ministry of Defence (1977-81)
 * Nicholas Gillett - UNESCO consultant (1954-65); Ghandi Peace Prize winner (1999)
 * Frank von Hippel - Professor of Public & International Affairs, Princeton University
 * Rebecca Johnson - Executive Director, The Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy; Senior Adviser, Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission
 * Jack Mendelsohn - George Washington and American Universities; Deputy Director, Arms Control Association (1985-98); Senior Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State (1963-85)
 * Mary Midgley - Moral philosopher and author
 * Pan Zhenqiang - Professor of International Relations, Institute for Strategic Studies, PLA National Defence University, Beijing
 * Douglas Roche - Senator, Senate of Canada (1998-2004); Chairman, Middle Powers Initiative
 * Maj-Britt Theorin

Consultants
As of October 2007, the following people are listed as ORG staff:
 * Frank Barnaby
 * Gabrielle Rifkind
 * Paul Rogers
 * Malcolm Savidge
 * Husam Zomlot

Project Consultants

 * Ahmed Badawi
 * Hamit Dardagan
 * Rosie Houldsworth

Interesting Office Staff

 * Fiona Harrison

Contact
URL: http://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Nicholas Grief
 * Paul Ingram - Former Staff

External articles

 * Kate Kelland, "Report says war on terror is fuelling al Qaeda," Reuters, October 7, 2007. re war on terrorism, al Qaeda, violence in the Middle East