Centre for Sustainable Peace
and Democratic Development
The Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development (SeeD) is an international research and innovation organisation that turns evidence into practical solutions for peace and development. We work with governments, international organisations and civil society to understand complex social challenges, design context-sensitive interventions, test what works, and support evidence-based decisions and action.
SeeD works at the intersection of research, programme design, evaluation and technology. We combine scientific methods, participatory inquiry and practical experimentation to help partners analyse complex systems, identify promising pathways for change, and design effective and adaptable responses. Our work is multi-systemic, encompassing interactions between individual wellbeing, family relationships, livelihoods, community dynamics, and wider social, political and economic conditions. Rather than addressing these challenges in isolation, we develop tools and solutions that leverage their connections to ensure policy and programming can have the greatest effect.
Through survey design, sampling, fieldwork support and data analysis, we generate robust, contextual evidence to understand complex social dynamics, risks and resilience capacities towards greater social cohesion and democratic development.
Learn moreWe use structured participatory design processes to translate evidence into theories of change, programmes, methodologies and intervention protocols that are adaptable, transferrable and scalable across contexts.
Learn moreWe set out to test what works, measure change, assess risks and strengthen learning and adaptation. To accomplish this, we design and implement independent evaluations, probabilistic risk models, experimental and quasi-experimental assessments.
Learn moreWe develop responsible AI tools for deliberation, community listening and guided learning. Our tools enhance learning, participation and evidence uptake and are underpinned by multi-perspectivity and built around human-centred collaborative intelligence.
Learn moreSeeD’s work spans contexts affected by conflict, fragility, political transition and other complex challenges across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and beyond. As our service lines and tools begin with participatory calibration, our methods are designed to travel in a context-sensitive way. As such, each engagement is adapted through local evidence, expertise and participation to ensure that solutions respond to the realities of the people and institutions they are intended to serve.
See data from the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation index in 22 countries
Explore research, evidence and learning through our research reports, policy papers, methodological handbooks, and more.
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On September 21, Dr. Ilke Dagli-Hustings delivered a presentation in London at the Dialogue in Action event hosted by the Nobel Peace Centre in partnership with UWC International.
The event marked the International Day of Peace and aimed to bring dialogue from principle to action through an evening of conversation, reconnection and shared belief. At the event, Ilke presented SeeD’s External Impact Assessment of UWC programmes implemented from 2020-2025 in Cyprus, emphasizing the importance of education and dialogue for sustainable peace
On July 6-10, SeeD colleagues attended the AI for Good Summit, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum, and the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva.
The week of conferences centred around one shared question: how can AI best serve humanity? To explore this, SeeD participated in discussions to better understand the operationalization of AI across education, development, mental health and humanitarian action fields. Through panel discussions, interactive exhibitions and networking sessions, we explored emerging AI applications and connected with UN partners including UNDP, UNICEF and UNITAR to explore how to best implement AI tools for peacebuilding, development and humanitarian purposes.
SeeD colleagues attended the AI for Good Summit, WSIS Forum, and UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance to explore how responsible AI can support peacebuilding.
The discussions focused on how AI can serve people across education, development, mental health, humanitarian action, and peacebuilding. SeeD's interest is in practical, responsible uses of AI that remain accountable to affected communities and grounded in evidence.
Read the latest SeeD newsletter for recent institutional news, project updates, publications, and events.
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On June 23, SeeD hosted a Knowledge Sharing & Networking Event at its headquarters in Nicosia, Cyprus in partnership with the University of Warwick. This event built off important discussions happening across Cyprus the prior week, including the IARS Conference, the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) Conference, and the International Conference on the Science of Dialogic Design.
A the event, SeeD hosted one conjoint analysis panel and three book discussions featuring themes including electoral result analysis, gender and power-sharing, constitutional design and minority memory and reconciliation. We concluded the event with a garden reception at the SeeD headquarters.
SeeD joined the 7th Annual Conference of the International Association for Reconciliation Studies at Ledra Palace for a panel on civic participation, deliberative democracy, and new methodologies in the Cyprus peace process.
The panel explored how evidence-informed dialogue, civic assemblies, and inclusive methods can help move peace processes beyond long-standing impasses. The conversation brought together researchers and practitioners interested in practical routes for participation and trust-building.
SeeD presented SCORE and STMM evidence during a forum in Chisinau, bringing policymakers, practitioners, and community actors together to discuss social cohesion.
The forum created space to connect social cohesion findings with practical programming priorities, including local dialogue, institutional trust, and cross-community cooperation. The exchange helped position evidence as a tool for programme design and collective action.
