A professor of peacebuilding at Coventry University will give a
free public lecture next week on the controversial topic of
reintegrating former combatants into civilian life.
Professor Alpaslan Özerdem of the University's Centre for
Peace and Reconciliation Studies (CPRS) will talk about the
difficulties associated with helping ex-fighters put their violent
pasts behind them and start a new life for themselves and their
families.
Increasing numbers of former soldiers and rebels from around the
world are taking part in disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration (DDR) programmes to the extent that these programmes
have become a regular component of post-conflict reconstruction and
nation-state building efforts.
Reintegration efforts, however, have often been unsuccessful,
and end up posing serious threats to the long term sustainability
of peace and security in the regions concerned, from Africa and the
Middle East to South America and the Balkans.
This lecture investigates the shortcomings of DDR programmes and
will explore a number of challenging and paradoxical issues that
historically have hindered a successful transition from combatant
to civilian.
Professor Özerdem, whose expertise extends to disaster
management and relief efforts for natural hazards, has written a
number of books on this topic including Child Soldiers: From
Recruitment to Reintegration and Post-war recovery: disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration.
Professor Özerdem said:
"The reintegration of ex-combatants remains an elusive objective
of the 'liberal peace' agenda, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq or any
of the war-torn African nations. Peacebuilding operations in these
areas often fail because the international community tries to
implement its own version of peace, and reintegration of
ex-combatants is probably one of the most politicised, top-down and
externally driven peace programmes.
"This lecture will address many of the problems faced by
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration initiatives around
the world, and will present a number of real-life examples to
demonstrate and explain how not to undertake DDR programmes if
peace and security is the ultimate goal."
The professorial lecture will take place at 4pm on Monday 16th
January in room RCG33 of the Richard Crossman Building on Jordan
Well, Coventry city centre.
For more information about Coventry University, please visit
their website here: www.coventry.ac.uk