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Speaker: Jaremey McMullin, Senior Lecturer, School of International Relations, University of St Andrews
Chair: Pauline Zerla, PhD Candidate, Department of War Studies
This seminar will explore how the ongoing social stigmatisation of ex-combatants is itself a deeply embedded ‘political dynamic’ of disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR). Social stigmatisation of ex-combatants does not result only from fighters’ participation in conflict but becomes deeply embedded through and because of DDR processes.
At the same time, ex-combatant and conflict-affected youth are active political agents engaged in shaping the political dynamics and aftermaths of DDR processes.
Consequently, the talk will focus on preliminary findings from participatory action research with ex-combatant and conflict-affected young people who are motorcycle taxi drivers in Liberia. Motorcycling is an important site for youth employment but also for ongoing forms of post-war exclusion, marginalisation, and violence.
Jaremey's research also centres youth-originated and -implemented counter-stigma efforts, and so the seminar will analyse these efforts: formation of dialogue groups to prevent police harassment, and the use of radio broadcasts and bumper stickers to amplify cyclists’ political voice and support their own political inclusion.
Bio:
Jaremey McMullin is a Senior Lecturer at the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews. He directs the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at St Andrews and coordinates newly-launched MLitt/MPhil programmes in Peacebuilding and Mediation.
He has published research on ex-combatants and veterans’ transition in the Review of International Studies, International Peacekeeping, Third World Quarterly, and the International Feminist Journal of Politics.
Most recently, he directed a documentary short film series on everyday peace, Liberia: Legacies of Peace.