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SMITH, MLR (2) answer(s).
 
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ID:   181743


Coca, Clausewitz, and Colombia: The Inadequacy of Micro-level Studies in Explaining FARC Violence Against Civilians During the Colombian Civil War / Bruce-Jones, Tobias; Smith, MLR   Journal Article
Smith, MLR Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract Studies of micro-level violence make various claims to universality: namely, that there are patterns of violence in civil wars that are observable across time and space. The analysis of rebel violence against civilians constitutes one of the enduring themes of these studies. By evaluating the actions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during the latter half of the Colombian civil war, this paper demonstrates that the claims of micro-level studies are unable to account for FARC’s violence against civilians. In response, this study provides an alternative framework for understanding FARC’s violence. Informed by the theories of Carl von Clausewitz it is possible to comprehend the logic of FARC’s violence against civilians within a strategic framework that aimed to advance the movement’s political goals. However, it also illustrates that FARC was influenced heavily by its involvement in the drugs trade. The main findings are a) that whilst FARC’s acts of violence may have contained similarities to that of other drugs cartels FARC did not become a narco-guerrilla organization, b) the case of FARC demonstrates that ultimately there are no reproducible patterns in war, micro-level or otherwise.
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2
ID:   126796


Of warriors, poachers and peacekeepers: protecting wildlife after conflict / Rotshuizen, Saskia; Smith, MLR   Journal Article
Rotshuizen, Saskia Journal Article
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Publication 2013.
Summary/Abstract Much research on conflict and the environment in Africa emphasises the competition for energy resources and valuable minerals as a cause of war. Drawing on current environmental research on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, this study demonstrates how the lack of adequate wildlife protection generates new sources of instability, notably between poachers and park guards and between local populations and refugees displaced by war. The article offers both an analysis of the important role that wildlife protection can play in the peace-building process after war and an agenda for future research. Effective policies on wildlife can provide a framework for communication between formerly conflicting parties; they can educate the population on the importance of sustainable resource management; and they can promote financial stability. All of these elements are crucial in preventing a renewed cycle of violence.
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