A new approach in peacebuilding: the role of the private sector in the reintegration of Colombia’s excombatants

Date: 

Tuesday, November 19, 2019, 12:00pm

Location: 

CGIS South, S250

Speaker: Juana García Duque, Associate Professor at the Business School, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia; Santo Domingo Visiting Scholar, DRCLAS
Moderator: Fernando Bizzarro, PhD student, Department of Government; Graduate Student Associate, DRCLAS

The current Colombian context presents various challenges for peacebuilding, specifically regarding the reintegration and reincorporation of former combatants from illegal armed groups into civil society. The reintegration of ex-combatants implies a complex process that includes, among other activities, providing the ex-combatant with access to occupational opportunities that allows them to be productive members of the society. To set up this work, we have used study cases to analise how the private sector is working with excombatants to give them another opportunity. 

Juana García Duque is Visiting Scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University and Associate Professor at the Business School from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.   Her research activity in international development includes : (i) the role of international cooperation and private sector in peacebuilding process and the study of (ii) internationalization and emerging economies. She is part of the Academic Committee of the Masters degree in Peacebuilding and coordinates several of the projects of the University regarding peace, such as the Research for peace Portfolio. In her book Peacebuilding: the role of companies in the reintegration of ex-combatants gathers the learnings and challenges of Colombian companies working with ex-combatants.

Fernando Bizzarro is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Government at Harvard and a Graduate Student Associate to the DRCLAS. A political scientist from Brazil, he researches the nature, causes, and consequences of democracy and political parties in Latin America.

The Tuesday Seminar Series is a bring your own brown bag lunch series. Please feel free to enjoy your lunch at the lecture, drinks will be provided.