This month, RESOLVE presents research that explores the intersection of non-state armed groups, violent extremism, and peacebuilding. The readings provide insights into the interactions among armed groups and their relations with the local government, the complexities of engaging armed groups under interventions, the changing characteristics of the state and war, and the dilemmas of leveraging vigilante groups to counter violent extremism. Click the links to learn more. 

Atran, Scott. “Briefing to the U.S. Defense Science Board on Countering Violent Extremism” ARTIS Research, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Univ. Michigan, Oxford Univ. 2014. https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/shb14/atran14.pdf 

CEIDES. “Regional Seminar for the prevention of violent extremism in Central Africa and the Lake Chad Basin Yaounde” Relief Web, November 2017. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/regional-seminar-prevention-violent-extremism-central-africa-and-lake-chad-basin 

“Choosing to engage: Armed groups and peace processes” Conciliation Resources, 2009. https://rc-services-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Accord16_Choosingtoengage_policybrief_2009_ENG.pdf 

Gaston, Erica. “Local Forces, Local Control” GPPi, April 20, 2018. https://www.gppi.net/2018/04/20/local-forces-local-control  

Hofmann, Claudia. “Reasoning with Rebels: International NGOs’ Approaches to Engaging Armed Groups” German Institute for International and Security Affairs, September 2012. https://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/research_papers/2012_RP11_hof.pdf  

Holmer, Georgia. “Nigeria’s Double-Edged Front Line” Foreign Policy, 2014. https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/05/nigerias-double-edged-front-line-boko-haram-vigilante/ 

Kaldor, Mary. “In Defence of New Wars" Stability Journel, 2013. https://www.stabilityjournal.org/articles/10.5334/sta.at/ 

Luckham, Robin, and Tom Kirk. “The Two Faces of Security in Hybrid Political Orders: A Framework for Analysis and Research” Stability: International Journal of Security & Development, 2(2): 44, pp. 1-30, PDF, 2013. https://www.stabilityjournal.org/articles/10.5334/sta.cf/ 

Policzer, Pablo. “Neither terrorists nor freedom fighters” Armed Groups, 2005. https://www.resolvenet.org/system/files/2019-02/Neither_terrorists_nor_freedom_fighters.pdf 

Weber, Max. “Politics as a Vocation’ Oxford University Press, 1921. http://fs2.american.edu/dfagel/www/class%20readings/weber/politicsasavocation.pdf