Date of Graduation

Fall 12-13-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS)

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

International Studies

First Advisor

Professor Anne Louise Bartlett

Abstract

From 1989, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes have played a major role in peace agreements worldwide. The first United Nations peacekeeping mission with a DDR mandate was ONUCA, (Observadores de las Naciones Unidas en Centroamerica) or the United Nations Observer Group in Central America and involved the reintegration of ex-combatants after the conflict had finished. While the disarmament and demobilization phases of the DDR programs are fairly straightforward events, success in the reintegration phase remains a great challenge. In this thesis I argue that paying closer attention to the challenges facing ex-combatants at an individual level can help in improving the success of reintegration. To elaborate on this point, I investigate the challenges faced by ex-military personnel, separating from the military on an individual basis, in their efforts to reintegrate back into civilian life. Through this effort, I aim to bring an individual perspective to post-conflict reintegration, which has typically focused on programmes and processes, rather than considering the experience of the individual ex-combatant. A further aim is to establish whether the co-operative model can help ex-combatants meet these challenges.

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