DIFI to advance research on Arab families impacted by wars

DIFI brought together a network of leading policy makers, researchers and non-governmental organisations for its two-day Annual Conference on Family Research and Policy, at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), from 17th to 18th October. The conference, entitled ‘The Impact of Wars and Conflicts on Arab Families’, examined the importance and means of preserving the family unit during times of instability and civil unrest.

Participants discussed the role of research and public policies in promoting and protecting the well-being of Arab families in conflicts, as well as the changing role of NGOs in war zones, post-war family transition, and resettlement of refugees in the region. At the end of the conference, participants also touched on the multiple ethical and methodological challenges that researchers face when assessing the impact of wars and conflicts on Arab families.

In line with its commitment to address these challenges, DIFI, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), is to pursue efforts contributing to the global knowledge base on current issues facing Arab families to promote their well-being.

As a step toward achieving this goal, DIFI, in collaboration with the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), also a member of QF, recently launched the second edition of the OSRA Research Grant.

The OSRA Research Grant, which was announced by Ms Noor Al Malki Al-Jehani, Executive Director of DIFI, during the conference, offers researchers from Qatar and other Arab countries up to $50,000 for one year to conduct research on the impact of wars on family formation and breakdown, parent-child relationships, and policies related to these topics.

DIFI, through its projects and initiatives, aims to highlight the importance of family issues in the Arab world and make them a priority for policy-makers on local, regional and international levels.