Antje Schiller

PhD Candidate in Criminology

Supervisors: Dr Sara Salman & Dr Lorena Gibson

Western peacebuilding models have long shaped post-conflict interventions globally, yet they often fail to align with the cultural and societal realities of local communities. Titled Peace in Practice: A Reflexive Study of Cultural and Normative Perspectives in Peacebuilding, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, bridging criminology and anthropology, to critically examine contemporary liberal peacebuilding frameworks in Iraq. By foregrounding the lived experiences and extensive expertise of Iraqi NGO workers, it advances a decolonial perspective on peace and peacebuilding.

Background

Antje previously worked for the international NGO Mercy Corps, managing a portfolio of humanitarian and development programmes in Iraq and across the Middle East. She also has an extensive record of volunteer work with organisations such as ActionAid UK, Action on Armed Violence, and Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand.

Research Interests

Thematic Interests: Peacebuilding Criminology, Peace and Conflict Studies; Decoloniality; Anti-Oppressive Research Methods; International Development; Knowledge Production.

Regional Focus: Middle East; Iraq.

Qualifications

Postgraduate Diploma in Terrorism and Political Violence from the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

Publications

2025. Schiller, A.  "City of Widows: An Iraqi Woman’s Account of War and Resistance, Haifa Zangana (2007)." Journal of Contemporary Iraq & the Arab World, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1386/jciaw_00138_5