Preventing Rebel Resurgence after Civil War

You’re invited to a Global Challenges to Democracy Seminar Series event featuring Michael Weintraub, Associate Professor in the Escuela de Gobierno at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, and Director of the Security and Violence Area of the Center for the Study of Security and Drugs (CESED).

States struggle to reestablish authority in areas of former rebel governance. How can they prevent armed groups from exploiting local governance gaps in areas of former rebel rule? During this talk, Weintraub will discuss his randomized evaluation of Colombia’s ComunPaz program, a scalable, inexpensive intervention to replace rebel governance by improving security and justice provision in areas once dominated by FARC, the country’s largest rebel group.

Light refreshments will be served.

More About the Paper

Title: “Preventing Rebel Resurgence after Civil War: A Field Experiment in Security and Justice Provision in Rural Colombia
Co-authors: Rob Blair, Manuel Moscoso, Andrés Vargas

The ComunPaz program sought to harness complementarities between state and communal authorities in areas of former rebel rule in Colombia. We find that the program enhanced the quality of local dispute resolution, increased citizens’ trust in (some) state institutions, and strengthened coordination between state and communal authorities. It also reduced citizens’ trust in, and reliance on, armed groups. The paper discusses implications of the findings for peacebuilding and state-building in countries transitioning from civil war.

About the Global Challenges to Democracy Seminar Series

In the span of a few years, democracy has gone from a likely, if distant, destination for much of the world to a far more tenuous prospect. This seminar series, co-chaired by Professors Yanilda María González and Gautam Nair and hosted by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, delves deep into the various challenges, both internal and external, that stand in the way of building more accountable, responsive, and capable democracy. Leading scholars of politics will provide insights using a wide variety of methods and expertise in countries from across the globe.

Event Details

Registration is required for this event. Please register using the link above. This event is in-person only and will be recorded. A recording will be posted later to this events page and sent to all registrants. The Ash Center encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. Should you wish to enquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu prior to the event.

Additional questions? Email the Ash Center events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.