Francy Carranza-Franco is an associated researcher at the Observatory of Land Restitution and Property Rights, Colombia and has a PhD in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London, UK.
At last the demobilisation of former combatants is conceptualised as a deeply social and political process, with consequences for state building as well as for peace building, while reflecting contemporary discourses around both. This volume is rooted in a rich, detailed, empirical analysis of the two most important 21st century demobilisation processes in Colombia, based on extensive fieldwork as well as other sources. It shows their huge implications for the future of peace in that country as well as the learning for other parts of the world. - Jenny Pearce, Research Professor, Latin America and Caribbean Centre, London School of Economics, UK Based on a comparison of Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration that took place in Colombia in the last decade and a half, this book takes a highly innovative perspective, looking at ex-combatants not as a security hazard but as an asset to achieve sustainable peace. While doing so, it explores the difficulties, challenges and security dilemmas former combatants may face in their process of integrating within a post-conflict society. It concludes that ultimately, the process of ex-combatant reintegration consists of negotiating citizenship for both ex-combatants and marginalized communities. This highly readable book is full of valuable insights for scholars and practitioners alike, and more generally for anybody interested in the nuts and bolts of building sustainable peace in highly fractured and traumatized societies. - Francisco Gutierrez Sanin, Professor, Institute of Political Studies and International Relations (IEPRI) at the the National University of Colombia, Director of the Observatory of Restitution and Land Property Rights