The findings offer important policy recommendations, including tailoring prevention strategies to local realities and extending support to both child and adult populations at risk. Importantly, it underscores the need to recognize civilian agency and incorporate it into broader efforts to reduce violence and protect civilians.

The post Desperate Measures: How Civilians Avoid Forced Recruitment During Ongoing Conflict first appeared on UNIDIR.

The post Engagement with the Nasa Indigenous Community of Northern Cauca, Colombia first appeared on UNIDIR.

Mr Abebe and Dr Mathshanda highlight the key reasons why the agreement failed, including the lack of a clear disarmament, demobilization and reintegration strategy.

The findings also offer crucial lessons to peacebuilders by highlighting the significance of inclusive, transparent and well-structured peace processes in post-conflict transitions.

The post Peace Without Process? Disarmament Failures and the 2018 OLF Ethiopian Government Accord first appeared on UNIDIR.

Given how community receptivity is driven by local dynamics – experiences during the conflict, the role of the state versus tribes and militias in the area and the number of returnees in the community – it becomes clear that a blanket approach to community outreach is not likely to be effective. Return policies and reintegration programming must consider the specificities of local communities and their internal dynamics. Messages and programmes crafted to specific contexts and working with hyper-local partners to ensure situational awareness are therefore crucial in supporting returnees’ social and economic reintegration, and social cohesion more broadly.

The post Reintegrating Iraqis Returning Home After Conflict: Lessons from Variation Between Four Communities first appeared on UNIDIR.

The report draws from a survey with over 3,600 respondents conducted in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in North East Nigeria between April and June 2024. Based on this evidence, the report also seeks to inform efforts to enhance the delivery and legitimacy of aid in the eyes of local communities and concludes with recommendations on how to better tailor aid to these conflict-affected populations in the region.

The post Trust Matters: Community Perceptions Towards Aid Organizations in the North East of Nigeria first appeared on UNIDIR.

Alongside the findings from qualitative research, the report also draws from data collected in multiple surveys conducted across the three countries between April and June 2024. Ultimately, the report seeks to provide much-needed nuance to the experiences of women and girls to inform prevention and reintegration programming to ensure that such programming is gender-sensitive and ultimately more effective at addressing the unique needs of women and girls formerly associated with Boko Haram.

The post Survival and Struggle: The Experience of Women and Girls With and After Boko Haram first appeared on UNIDIR.

Despite these national commitments, Colombian feminists continue to face significant challenges at the local level, where gender inequality and security threats against women persist. Drawing on lived experiences from Cauca, Colombia, the authors explore how feminists have localized global Women, Peace and Security agendas to influence local institutions. This report highlights innovative strategies used to advance gender equality and create a more inclusive, sustainable peace.

The post Taking Peace into Our Own Hands: Colombian Feminists Use Local Politics to Advance their Agenda for Peace first appeared on UNIDIR.

Based on recent interviews with former associates, the report offers insights into the group’s evolving dynamics since its emergence in 2009. It details the factional split in 2016 and the differing operational approaches of both factions, aiming to address significant knowledge gaps and inform policymakers engaged in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts in the region.

The post Boko Haram: Mapping an Evolving Armed Constellation first appeared on UNIDIR.

Multi-tiered peace systems, comprising institutions and mechanisms from hyper-local to state and regional, work to mitigate and resolve conflicts throughout the region.

Through a conversation with Dr. Ahram, the report summarizes this academic research, distils its policy implications, and proposes practical and realistic approaches to conflict resolution beyond MENA.

The post In Search of a Middle East and North Africa Peace System first appeared on UNIDIR.

The report details extensive qualitative research undertaken in Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon by UNIDIR and ISS from May – June 2023. It draws from key informant interviews and focus group discussions with military personnel, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and other community security actors, former associates of Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (JAS) and of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), government officials and local leaders, staff of NGOs and civil society groups, and community members across the region, who all have interesting vantage points on counterterrorism policy and practice.

The report also aims to contribute to a better understanding of the full range of tools that could potentially be employed – in combination – to bring about an end to the Boko Haram crisis. Findings highlight a range of key considerations related to dialogue and negotiations – and how different segments of local populations view them – which may be of use to policymakers and practitioners considering the utility of strategic messaging around defection, tactical negotiations, and ultimately, strategic negotiations to incentivize key units of or entire armed factions to demobilize.

The post Prospects for Dialogue and Negotiation to Address the Conflict in the Lake Chad Basin first appeared on UNIDIR.

This data may be useful to governments, UN and NGO partners working in the region to bolster their community outreach and messaging around reintegration programmes. The data presented herein are unique in that they were collected in an ongoing conflict context, while reintegration is actively ongoing and communities in and around are receiving ex-associates of Boko Haram and other armed groups. 

The report ends with an examination of key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

The post Understanding Receptivity to Returning Former Boko Haram Associates Through a Gender Lens (Findings Report 30) first appeared on UNIDIR.

The sample was divided into two roughly equal halves: those who had benefited from UNDP support (810 persons or 43 per cent) and a randomized household sample from the same areas (1,072 persons or 57 per cent). In addition, qualitative interviews were carried out in the same four locations between July and November 2022 with key stakeholders (local authorities, tribal leaders, mukhtars) as well as 60 survey respondents to explore the survey findings in greater depth.

The four locations were chosen because they are the sites of community-based reconciliation and reintegration programming delivered by UNDP Iraq. Amongst other objectives, the programmes seek to support the return and reintegration of families perceived as having ISIL affiliation and to support the communities that receive them. The report ends with an examination of key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

The report presents data about community experiences pre-, during, and post-war, and examines what community experiences, perceptions, and preferences mean for reintegration prospects for those families perceived as having ISIL affiliation. This data may be useful to UN and NGO partners working in the region to bolster their early recovery programming, as well as efforts to support reintegration, community reconciliation, and broader peacebuilding efforts. The report ends with an examination of key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

The post Coming Home: The Return and Reintegration of Families with Perceived ISIL Affiliation in Iraq (Findings Report 28) first appeared on UNIDIR.

The survey was rolled out with all current and former reintegration process participants who have active contact information on file with the ARN with respondents who were located across the country. The survey also inquired after their conflict experiences and their transitions into civil life, economic situation, personal security, psychosocial vulnerabilities, and support networks. This report compares some of the experiences of former rank-and-file combatants and former mid-ranking commanders, that may affect their transition to civilian life.

These findings may also be useful to government, UN, and NGO partners working to address conflict and build peace amidst the changing landscape of insecurity and vulnerability in Colombia. The report ends with an examination of key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

The post How Rank Affects the Transition to Civilian Life: Lessons from the Reintegration Process in Colombia (Findings Report 27) first appeared on UNIDIR.

This survey took place thanks to the cooperation agreement established between MEAC and the Reincorporation and Normalization Agency (ARN by its Spanish acronym) in Colombia; MEAC is grateful to the ARN for its collaboration in this work. The interviews took place in three cities in Colombia – Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali – where the ex-associates were participating in exit programming provided by the Colombian Government. The survey enquired about ex-associate conflict experiences and their transition out of their group and back into civilian life.

This report also focuses on recidivism risks that may affect their transition to civilian life and the potential for them to return to an armed group or participate in other illegal activities. These findings may be useful to the Government, the UN, and NGO partners working to implement and support the differential assistance process, and may inform the design and implementation of similar interventions in Colombia in the future. The report ends with an examination of key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

Spanish version is available here.

The post Recidivism Risks in the Differential Assistance Process for People Exiting Criminal Groups in Colombia (Findings Report 25) first appeared on UNIDIR.

It presents findings on their experiences of leaving armed groups as children and reintegrating back into civilian life without formal support. This data may be useful to government, UN, and NGO partners working in Colombia, supporting their policies and programming to prevent and respond to child recruitment and reintegration. The report ends with key policy and programmatic recommendations that were constructed with the nine participants as part of the participatory exercise.

The version in Spanish is available here.

The post “It’s Like Starting From Scratch”: Informal Support Accessed by Individuals who Disengaged from Armed Groups as Children in Colombia (Findings Report 21) first appeared on UNIDIR.

This survey took place thanks to the cooperation agreement established between MEAC and the Reincorporation and Normalization Agency (ARN by its Spanish acronym) in Colombia; MEAC is grateful to the ARN for its collaboration in this work. The interviews took place in three cities in Colombia – Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali – where the ex-associates were participating in the differential assistance process led by the ARN.

The survey inquired about their conflict experiences and their transition to civil life, economic situation, personal security, psychosocial vulnerabilities, and support networks. This report focuses on security threats that affect the exit process in ways that could increase the likelihood of recidivism and decrease the likelihood that participants make full, sustained, and positive transitions to civilian life. If this process is unable to support successful transitions out of armed groups, it will not achieve the goal of winnowing the ranks of – and ultimate dismantling – active armed groups.

These findings may be useful to the Colombian government and other governments, UN, and NGO partners working to address conflict and build peace amidst the changing landscape of insecurity and vulnerability in Colombia. The report ends with an examination of key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

The version in Spanish is available here.

The post Security Threats Affecting People Exiting Criminal Groups in Colombia (Findings Report 19) first appeared on UNIDIR.

It presents findings about the ways in which people in the North East became involved with these types of armed groups, as well their roles within the group and their expectations for demobilizing from these groups. This data may be useful to the UN and NGOs working in the region to bolster programming that facilitates exits from these groups.

These insights are unique as this data is being collected during an ongoing conflict, and many of the respondents are still active affiliates of these groups. The report ends with an examination of the key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

The post Community Security Actors and the Prospects for Demobilization in the North East of Nigeria (Findings Report 18) first appeared on UNIDIR.

The report presents findings on public perceptions of FARC dissident groups, as well as the experiences of, and perceptions held by, individuals who left these groups. By comparing municipal-level summary statistics, this report allows for an examination of regional differences, often stemming from their different conflict histories.

Analysis of this data aims to be useful for the international community, governments, local authorities, and Colombian civil society organizations in their peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts – including potential talks between the Government and some of these groups.

The report ends with an examination of the key policy and programmatic implications of these findings.

The version in Spanish is available here.

The post Perceptions of FARC Dissident Groups in Colombia: Implications for Future Peace (Findings Report 17) first appeared on UNIDIR.

It presents findings on citizens’ perceptions of implementation of transitional justice measures stemming from the peace agreement signed by the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP in 2016.

This data may be useful to government, UN, and NGO partners working in Colombia to support implementation of the peace agreement, particularly the transitional justice system that the agreement created.

This publication can also be downloaded from the UNU-CPR website in English and Spanish

The post Public Perceptions of the Transitional Justice Components of the 2016 Colombian Peace Agreement: Implications for Peace (Findings Report 16) first appeared on UNIDIR.

The report focuses on community leaders’ receptivity to returning Boko Haram associates. This policy brief focuses on how community leaders’ experiences of personal targeting, and the extent to which their community members participated in Boko Haram, affect their willingness to allow former members to return.

These insights are unique as this data is collected in an ongoing conflict, while reintegration is actively occurring in the North East and communities are receiving those who exit Boko Haram and other armed groups.

This publication can also be downloaded from the UNU-CPR website

The post Community Leaders’ Receptivity to Returning Former Boko Haram Associates: Implications for Peacebuilding (Findings Report 15) first appeared on UNIDIR.

These insights are unique as this data is collected in ongoing conflict, while reintegration is actively occurring and communities in and around Maiduguri are receiving those who exit Boko Haram and other armed groups.

This publication can also be downloaded from the UNU-CPR website

The post The Relationship Between Victimization and Receptivity to Returning Boko Haram Associates (Findings Report 13) first appeared on UNIDIR.

It presents data on the public’s perspectives on transitional and criminal justice as a way for responding to former Boko Haram associates. This report will examine the public’s receptivity to apply transitional justice to returning armed group associates, either as an alternative or alongside criminal justice and counter-terrorism approaches to Boko Haram.

These insights are unique as this data is collected in ongoing conflict, while reintegration is actively occurring and communities in and around Maiduguri are receiving those who exit Boko Haram and other armed groups.

This publication can be downloaded from the UNU-CPR website

The post Criminal and Transitional Justice Preferences for Former Boko Haram Associates (Findings Report 12) first appeared on UNIDIR.

It presents findings on gender roles and stereotypes in Colombia, gendered attitudes towards the use of different types of violence, and gendered experiences of fear of ex-combatants.

This data may be useful to government, UN, and NGO partners working in Colombia to support their policies and programming to break down gender inequalities and ensure a gendered approach to reconciliation in Colombia, including through implementation of the 2016 peace agreement between the Government and the FARC-EP.

This publication can also be downloaded from the UNU-CPR website

The post The Gendered Dynamics of Conflict and Peacebuilding in Colombia (Findings Report 11) first appeared on UNIDIR.

It presents findings on climate change and human-induced environmental degradation, including impacts such as displacement and association with armed groups. It also includes analysis of some of the different levels and types of impact that these climate trends have on women and ethnic groups.

This data may be useful to government, UN, and NGO partners working in Colombia to tackle climate change and environmental degradation, and to dismantle armed groups and bring about peace, including through implementation of the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP.

This publication can also be downloaded from the UNU-CPR website

The post Climate-Driven Recruitment and Other Conflict Dynamics in Colombia (Findings Report 8) first appeared on UNIDIR.