Cultural impact

Explosive violence transforms societies, alters cities, blast craters in cultural memories and marks histories for years beyond the blast. This category seeks to understand the cultural impact of explosive weapons, in all its terrible and – sometimes – beautiful forms.

7 Apr 2021
AOAV board member Dr Saleyha Ahsan responds to reports Russian special forces using ‘Red Cross’ ambulances to practise ambush techniques
Reports emerge that Russian special forces are using “Red Cross” flagged ambulances to practise ambush techniques.
5 Apr 2021
The Rise of ‘Lawfare’ in the UK examined: how Parliament turned the law into a battleground
The Conservative Party’s 2015 Manifesto stated “we will ensure our Armed Forces overseas are not subject to persistent human rights claims". This article explores this claim and its impact.
31 Mar 2021
20 films that can change the way you think about war
Across genres, countries and interpretations, these films challenge and deepen the way we understand conflict.
23 Mar 2021
Similarities between UK government’s attacks on ‘lawfare’ and the Colombian experience examined
Pushing through the Overseas Operations Bill puts the UK at risk of going down the same path as Colombia, leaving victims of war crimes without justice, and the perpetrators to continue with impunity.
10 Mar 2021
‘Fires everywhere’: the bombing of Germany 1942 – 1945 examined
In a three year campaign of fire from the skies, almost half a million Germans were killed, three-quarters of a million were wounded, and seven and a half million were left homeless.
10 Mar 2021
How is climate change driving conflict in Africa?
The growing link between climate change and conflict is explored in an African context.
25 Jan 2021
The End of Where We Begin
This is an extract from the book The End of Where We Begin by Rosalind Russell. The book is a true-life account of three young refugees who flee civil war in South Sudan.
21 Jan 2021
Why Mexico was the most dangerous place to be a journalist in the world in 2020
For Mexican journalists, 2020 was yet another hard reminder that they live in the most dangerous place on earth doing the job that they do. This report by an academic whose PhD looked at the violence against Mexican journalists there explains why such violence against journalists is so widespread and what might be done about it.
23 Sep 2020
Review: History of Bombs by Ai Weiwei at the Imperial War Museum
For the first time since 1936, the Imperial War Museum’s iconic atrium has been lent out in its entirety to a single artist: Ai Weiwei, highlighting his History of Bombs exhibition.