Benjamin (Ben) Francis

Ben Francis (peace studies and political science) holds a B.A. in International Relations and English Language from the University of Westminster and an M.A. in Global Development and International Political Economy from the University of Leeds. Previously, Ben has worked for almost a decade in the international aid sector, focussing on development and peacebuilding issues and has during this time lived and worked in various contexts, including Palestine, Libya, Nepal and Afghanistan.

He has a diverse range of research interests, primarily focussing on issues of climate change, gender and violence. He is interested in how the continuing climate crisis impacts political and conflict-related outcomes and how understanding these issues through a feminist lens can help to produce peacebuilding solutions.

Current projects include work exploring gender quotas in Nepal, climate attitudes in the UK, the legacies of George Orwell’s human rights activism, theoretical analysis of violence within peacebuilding movements, and elite position taking on climate issues in American politics.

Recent Publications

Journal article: Francis, B. (2024). Be a man: A theory of climate change, masculinities and violence. Environment and Security, 0(0). https://doi-org.proxy.library.nd.edu/10.1177/27538796241230584