The Demobilization of the Colombian Paramilitaries: Between Skepticism and Hope

Dear all,

The Department of International Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables campus, cordially invites you to a book launching:

La desmovilización de los paramilitares en Colombia: entre el escepticismo y la esperanza

The Demobilization of the Colombian Paramilitaries: Between Skepticism and Hope

edited by ELVIRA MARÍA RESTREPO and BRUCE BAGLEY

 Wednesday, November 2^nd, 2011
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Whitten Learning Center, room 190
Coral Gables campus 

Between 2003 and 2009, Colombia went through the largest demobilization of ex combatants in its history. Unlike previous peace processes characterized by unconditional amnesties and impunity, this process was carried out within the framework of the relatively recent field of transitional. The relevance of this ongoing process for peace building in Colombia still remains an open question. This volume presents a systematic analysis, involving 21 experts, academics, and journalists, of the demobilization process and its regulatory legal framework. Between skepticism and hope, the authors provide the readers with in-depth analyses in an attempt to understand, criticize and contribute to the search for a long-awaited and illusive peace in Colombia. The volume is grounded in the conviction that contributions to the success of the current peace process in Colombia will be possible only through a systematic study of the entire process in all its complexity and scope. The analysis presented here, in turn, should prove valuable for future peace negotiations with the FARC, the ELN and other armed non-state actors active in Colombia.

Elvira Maria Restrepo, Ph.D., holds a Doctorate in Politics from Oxford University and an LLM from Harvard University Law School. Her current research interests include comparative studies in justice, crime and conflict -- both at the level of individual case-studies and at the level of aggregated statistics. She has a book titled "The Colombian Criminal Justice in Crisis: Fear and Distrust" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003) and has research papers published in a variety of international, peer-reviewed journals. From 2003-2007, she was Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia) where she taught courses on the interplay between crime and conflict. She has been a member of CEDE (Universidad de los Andes) and Fedesarrollo (the economics think-tank), where she worked mainly in topics related to crime, terrorism, criminal justice and conflict. Member of the Board of Directors, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

Bruce Michael Bagley, Ph.D., holds a PhD. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is Professor of International Studies and Chair of the Department of International Studies at the University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, FL. Prior to his arrival at UM, Dr. Bagley was an Associate Professor of Comparative and International Politics at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University in Washington D.C. (1978-1987). He had previously taught in the Department of Political Science at the University of Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia (1973-1978) and has subsequently been a visiting professor at various other Latin American universities including CIDE in Mexico City, FLACSO in Quito, Ecuador, CEBEM in La Paz, Bolivia, and the National University in Bogota, ICESI University in Cali, and EAFIT University in Medellin, Colombia, among others. His research interests are in U.S.-Latin American relations, with an emphasis on drug trafficking and security issues. From 1991 to 1995 he served as associate dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Miami. Prior to his appointment at UM, he was assistant professor of Comparative Politics and Latin American Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of the Johns Hopkins University.