Founded in 2010, the Castleberry Peace Institute (CPI) at the University of North Texas (UNT) sponsors cutting-edge research and educational programs on the causes of war and peace, both within and between nations. In today's world, it is increasingly apparent that cultivating democracy, human rights, and economic development is critical to building a sustainable peace, and this notion is supported by decades of research. That is why the Castleberry Peace Institute takes a holistic approach to promoting scholarship on peace and conflict resolution.
The Castleberry Peace Institute was initially created by Peacemaker's Incorporated, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with a commitment to promoting peace domestically and globally, focusing especially on the role of women in conflict resolution. The Institute is named for journalist and author Vivian Anderson Castleberry, a pioneering woman in journalism and a life-long advocate for peace. In 2010, University of North Texas became the institutional home for the Castleberry Peace Institute in a strategic partnership to advance goals of research and education on topics related conflict and its resolution. Recognizing that peace is more than the absence of violence, the CPI promotes a comprehensive view of peace which encompasses human well-being & prosperity, democracy, and respect for human rights. The Institute has a special mission to foster programs on the role of women in the peace process.
The CPI regularly hosts conferences and events on and off the UNT campus, invites guest speakers, and promotes peace research. It also serves to support and coordinate research among affiliated faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates. The Institute is the home of the Peace Research Laboratory, a computing resource for scholars and students to utilize cutting-edge technologies and statistical methods to answer pressing questions related to the mission of the CPI. Beyond the University, the CPI has a mandate to engage in public outreach programs to inform the community on issues of peace and conflict.