Dear colleagues,
Please consider sending in an abstract for the panel below which we are organizing for the upcoming PASCA conference in Amsterdam (28-30 August). Deadline is 12 April.
Sincerely,
Laurens Bakker and Naomi van Stapele
Vigilantism and security in development
With the interconnectedness of development and security recognized as a multi-actor, multi-interest issue, research is increasingly focusing on the roles and impacts of vigilantism. This panel explores the (possible) interactions between vigilantism and security issues in relation to development interests, arrangements and actors.
Despite growing recognition that governance is not the preserve of governments in many post-colonial political landscapes, emphasis in security assistance programs typically remains upon institutional reform to develop the capacity of states to provide security for their citizens. Even in instances where the state is not the principle referent for security, it continues to be considered the primary 'agent of security'. Hence, 'what already works' on the ground is largely ignored or related to the domains of illegality and crime. Nevertheless, the activities of unofficial security groups frequently are condoned or even supported locally.
While the potential for violence of such groups sits uneasily with the use of violence as the prerogative of the state, states may lack capacities or motivation to enact this monopoly and may even be viewed as illegitimate by the wider population. Under such circumstances, vigilante groups may take up state functions, enjoy popular legitimacy and combine formally illegal activities with community development and force of arms. This panel seeks to gain a better understanding of the global and local dynamics underlying the emergence of vigilantism and its varied manifestations in post-colonial settings and how these relate to security issues in development endeavors. We invite contributions based on original empirical research that examine the roles of vigilante groups, activities and processes in broader security arrangements and development frameworks.
Laurens Bakker (University of Amsterdam, [log in to unmask]) and Naomi van Stapele (University of Amsterdam, [log in to unmask])
Laurens Bakker
anthropology and contemporary Asian studies
University of Amsterdam
+31 6 5254 3865
personal webpage
MA program contemporary Asian studies
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