Gyda M. Sindre, the founder of the PAW network, was invited to speak at the 7th Annual Conflict, Security & Development Conference – Beyond the State: Rethinking Mechanisms for Peace, Security and Development. The conference was organised by postgraduate students from the War Studies Department and the Department of International Development (ID) at King’s College London and took place on 6 March 2020.
Armed Non-State Actors in Peace Processes
Dr Gyda Sindre, Dr Annette Idler, Marwa Baabbad, and Ahmad Naveed Noormal
Armed non-state actors such as militias, rebel groups, warlords or criminal networks often act as security-providers in conflict environments but are generally excluded from long-term strategies for peace and post-conflict reconstruction. Much of the focus lies on how these actors in many instances not only cause and trigger violent conflicts, but also how they make it increasingly difficult to end wars and restore viable peace and stability. Transcending their role as conflict actors, we aim to discuss what role, if any, violent non-state actors can or should play as architects of peace in transitioning post-conflict societies.
Politics After War 