We have the pleasure of hosting Dr Emily Paddon Rhoads, Associate Professor of Political Science at Swarthmore College, for a discussion on civilian protection, UN peace operations, and the moral agency of frontline protectors. The format will be conversational, with audience questions encouraged.

Drawing on her extensive research and fieldwork, Dr Paddon Rhoads will examine the evolving challenges of protecting civilians in violent settings. She will explore the role of international organizations — particularly UN peacekeepers — in safeguarding vulnerable populations, the shifting dynamics of civilian protection, and the ethical and operational dilemmas faced by those on the ground. Additionally, she will reflect on the broader implications for international law, multilateral engagement, and conflict resolution.

With the number of violent conflicts at an all-time high — bringing devastating consequences for civilians — and continued debate over the effectiveness of international responses, this discussion could not be more timely.

About the Speaker

Dr Emily Paddon Rhoads’ research and policy engagement focuses on civilian protection and civilian agency in armed conflict, humanitarianism, peace operations, and the role of international institutions. She has conducted fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Kenya, and Iraq. She is the author of Taking Sides in Peacekeeping: Impartiality and the Future of the United Nations (Oxford University Press, 2016) and co-editor of Civilian Protective Agency in Violent Settings: A Comparative Perspective (Oxford University Press, 2023). She completed her MPhil and DPhil (Phd) at the University of Oxford and her B.A. at Brown University. She is spending the 2024-2025 academic year in her home country of Canada as the JW McConnell Visiting Scholar at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.

About the CSD Speaker Series

The Conflict, Security, and Development (CSD) Speaker Series is an initiative from the Conflict, Security & Development Research Group in the Department of War Studies. It aims to bring together interested individuals with leading experts and influential thinkers in the fields of conflict, security, and development.

This event will take place in Room S(-1.06), Strand Building at King’s College London. A member of our team will be stationed at the Strand Building reception to register you and direct you to the room.