The Conflict Analysis Resource Centre (CERAC) is a private research organization specialized in data-intensive studies of conflict and criminal violence. Based in Bogotá, Colombia, CERAC was established in December 2004 by an international and multidisciplinary group of researchers.

One of the main objectives of CERAC is the investigation of spatial and temporal dynamics of violence from a wide variety of methodological perspectives, emphasizing the human impact of conflict and crime, with a human security focus.

CERAC currently has five research lines which focus on (1) Human Security Measurement, (2) Conflict Analysis, (3) Conflict Measurement, (4) Urban Security, and (5) Demographic Impact of Violence and Conflict in Colombia.

CERAC funds its its activities and research through projects with partner institutions and research associates, as well as by the provision of data processing and analysis services.

CERAC received and gratefully acknowledges the contribution to its running costs that the Small Arms Survey during 2005, 2006 and 2007.

CERAC is a member of two Centres of Excellence in Research recently created by Colciencias, the Colombian Science and Technology government agency. First, CERAC is a partner of ODECOFI, the Observatory for Development, Coexistence and Institutional Strenghtening, together with CINEP, the INER of Universidad de Antioquia, the Universidad de San Buenaventura (Cartagena), and the CID of Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Also, CERAC is a supporting institution of the “Excellence Centre in modelling and simulation of complex processes and phenomena”.

CERAC has a permanent gender and regional-balanced staff of researchers specialized in econometrics, political science, statistics, spatial analysis and information systems. CERAC projects apply the expertise of first-rate international researchers to violence, conflict and economic issues in developing countries. Our Associate Researchers have a wide range of expertise, spanning the disciplines of demography, anthropology, economics, criminology and physics.

The CERAC conflict measurement system is based on SARAC, a relational database software system, specifically developed for the recording of conflict actions. This system allows the recording and analysis of a wide variety of sources and is fully geographically referenced. The Colombian conflict database, which also includes a spatial database, operates on a web-based client-server platform that allows remote, safe and real time access to the underlying relational databases.