• promote and strengthen the field of social simulation in the domain of conflict research;
• provide within ESSA an organisational platform for researchers working on social conflict and social simulation to share, discuss and disseminate their work.

Social conflict entails a variety of social phenomena, including international conflict, civil war, genocide, organised violence, insurgencies and rebellions, terrorism, riots, etc. These phenomena have often been understood in terms of complexity and have also been simulated by means of agent-based modelling. Some of these models are related to international relations and internationalised conflict; others are situated on the micro and macro scales, explaining collective dynamics of crowds, riots, combat or tribal conflict. The SIG-SCSS embraces researchers from all these varying fields, focusing on conflict between and amongst groups, be it small or large, formal or informal, etc. Evidently, the domain of SCSS is characterised by ample and heterogeneous research problems. Agent-based social simulation can provide a more coherent and mutually enriching approach to this scattered field by investigating relevant mechanisms, and emerging processes and structures. Increasing awareness of alternative approaches in particular and research on social conflict in general using social simulation builds up knowledge and expertise in a more effective and sustainable way.

The SIG-SCSS furthers the interests of this important, but underrepresented strand of social science in the European social simulation community by organising a platform where researchers can:

• Informally exchange and discuss ideas on how to model social conflict and share preliminary results through a mailing list;
• Participate in a SIG-SCSS panel at the annual ESSA conference;
• Organise special issues in journals and produce in-collections;
• Build, share and extend a network of likeminded scholars;
• Collaborate with NAACSOS and PAAA against the background of comparable research;
• Organise symposia, workshops and tutorials;
• Maintain a website that makes available resources, models and their source code.

Research on social conflict evidently incorporates a social policy dimension, which is thematically immanent to the SIG-SCSS. However, the Policy SIG remains the primary focus for these particular issues.

The SIG-SCSS’s inaugurational panel is scheduled for the ESSA 2008 conference. Accepted papers will be included in the ESSA proceedings. For the call for papers please follow this link. If you already are an ESSA member and would like to join us, please contact either Armando Geller or Nanda Wijermans, the SIG-SCSS’s organisers.

If you are not yet a member of ESSA, you can join ESSA by following this link.
For questions, suggestions or comments please contact either Armando Geller or Nanda Wijermans.
P.S. Please note that the above statement of intentions is preliminary only. A definitive version will be elaborated on a consensual basis during the inaugural meeting.