Conflict, illicit economies, and community resilience
A Talk by Lyes Tagziria , Summer Walker , Americo Maluana , Mariana Botero Restrepo , Kingsley Madueke and Guillermo Vazquez del Mercado
About this Talk
The relationship between illicit economies, conflict and instability are an ongoing part of the international policy agenda. From the diamond trade in Sierra Leone to the heroin trade in Afghanistan, illicit economies have been shown to fund insurgencies and political actors, and to contribute to ongoing conflict. Responses to these conflicts have included a combination of national, regional and international interventions. However, international interests – multilateral and bilateral – can be different for illicit economies (particularly those linked to transnational flows) than for conflict. On top of that, the interests of and risks perceived by the local community can be quite different from these external actors, and from national actors. This event will focus on the intersection of armed conflict and illicit economies and consider the dynamic relationship between the two phenomenon, before turning to research analyzing resilience to organized crime at a community level in conflict and fragile contexts.