The Centre’s name has been changed to reflect the expansion of its mandate to incorporate a distinctive stream of research on diversity and democratic governance. This stream will be built around the work of Queen’s researchers from the Ethnicity and Democratic Governance Project (EDG) whose members have joined the Centre.
The EDG is a collaborative international research project funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada that has engaged 39 researchers from eight countries. It investigates how states can best respond to the opportunities and challenges raised by ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural differences, and do so in ways that promote democracy, social justice, peace and stability.
Now in its fifth year, the EDG has produced more than 200 working papers, held 24 workshops and conferences, and published five in a projected series of 14 books.
In their research the members of the EDG group have an explicit commitment to policy development and the application of their analyses to support peace-building and initiatives in democratic reform. They have been engaged as consultants and advisors to governments and international organizations in the Middle-East, Southern Africa, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Ireland. As researchers and practitioners, they strengthen the Centre’s ability to fulfill its objective of taking a leading role in research on policy for the promotion of international democratic development.
Officially the new name is Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity, but the operating name will be the shorter form 'Democracy and Diversity'.
Further changes planned under this expanded mandate will be announced shortly.