Learning to say ‘no’: privilege, entitlement and refusal in peace, (post)conflict and security research

In this forum, we focus on the possibility and necessity for active refusal in research, complexities of refusal. We offer four different perspectives, based our shared concerns understanding harms caused by some field driven engagement with membership communities experiencing harmful fieldwork peace, (post)conflict security settings.Drawing feminist, queer, indigenous, anti-racist decolonial literatures interventions, seek to further a practice as an essential component researcher reflexivity Our various positionalities privileges, research entitlement they can bring, necessitate grappling refusal: must do better at saying ‘no’. also be careful about ethics itself: Who gets say ‘no’ whom? What comes after refusal? hope interventions encourage more these conversations (more importantly) practices.Refusals important ‘full stop’ that interrupt exploitative relationships, challenge neoliberal neocolonial conditions knowledge production. But generative ways sharing knowledge, leading new partners locations, cross boundaries between imperialist categories researched, relationships outside work.