Beyond Compliance: In Conversation

What is ‘civilian harm’, and how should it be understood in contemporary warfare? Why do definitions matter, and who gets to shape them? In this episode, Katharine and Florian speak with Lauren Gould from Utrecht University and Janina Dill from the University of Oxford about evolving approaches to defining and addressing harm to civilians. Cited Documents: Gould, L., Demmers, J., Bijl, E., & A...

What does the loss of home during conflict mean for those affected? And how well does international law capture and address this experience? In this episode, Katharine and Florian talk to Luke Moffett, Chair of the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law at Queen's University Belfast, and Ammar Azzouz, Research Fellow at the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of...

How do sanctions affect the dynamics of armed conflict? How do sanctions work? And do they succeed in addressing harm and need? Exploring such questions, Katharine and Florian speak with Delaney Simon from the International Crisis Group and Mohammad Kanfash from Utrecht University.  Cited Documents: Kanfash, Mohammad, Sanctions as Barriers to the Work of Humanitarian Organizations in Syria in “Eco...

What drives today’s famines? What role does armed conflict play? And to what extent does international law address these challenges? Engaging with such questions, in this episode of Beyond Compliance: In Conversation, Katharine and Florian speak with Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation and Professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Yousuf Syed Khan, Invest...

How was civilian protection practiced and experienced during the international intervention and war in Afghanistan? And what are the legacies for international law today? In this episode, Katharine and Florian speak with Shaharzad Akbar, former Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and Thomas Gregory, author of Weaponizing Civilian Protection: Counterinsurgency and Co...

How are civilians in Ukraine exercising agency in the digital realm? And what are the consequences of their digital engagement, both politically and under international law? In this episode, Katharine and Florian bring together Oona Hathaway and Taras Fedirko (experts from law and political and economic anthropology) to shed light on this new dimension of agency during armed conflict. Cited Docume...

How does a community’s relationship with the land they live on feed into their experiences of harm? What solutions do they find to protect themselves? Katharine and Florian speak to Dr Piergiuseppe (Pier) Parisi and Dr Marwan Darweish about their research on the different ways in which civilian communities resist against armed actors in Colombia and Palestine. Cited Documents: Centre for Trust, Pe...

How is civil society in South Sudan engaging with armed actors to protect civilians? And what can humanitarian actors do? In this episode of Beyond Compliance: In Conversation, Katharine and Florian talk to Rev Peter Tibi, Gemma Davies and Leigh Mayhew about how different types of actors can strengthen civilian protection. Cited Documents: Davies, Gemma, Gray, Felicity, Barbelet, Veronique, Keepin...

How are women in India’s violence-affected Manipur State shaping not only conflict dynamics, but also trade and mobility? And how do ideas around gender influence, produce and challenge understandings of the principle of distinction under IHL? In this episode of Beyond Compliance: In Conversation, Katharine and Florian talk to Shalaka Thakur and Helen Kinsella about the synergies between their res...

What was the role of civil society in the Basque Country conflict transformation process? How did civil society succeed to even influence the process of ETA's disarmament? And could this happen elsewhere? Florian and Katharine talk to Dr. Véronique Dudouet and Urko Aiartza Azurtza to find out more about how the conflict moved towards peace, whether lessons could be replicated elsewhere and th...

What role did civilians play during the conflict and peace process in Northern Ireland? How does agency relate to victimhood and transitional justice? And how can people contribute to ‘everyday’ peace? In this episode, Katharine and Florian talk to Kieran McEvoy from Queen’s University Belfast and to Roger Mac Ginty from Durham University about Northern Ireland and their research on civilians navi...

In this episode, Katharine and Florian speak to Sophie Haspeslagh from Kings College London and Gloria Gaggioli from the University of Geneva about their research on counter-terrorism law, its mechanisms, effects and how it links to civilian agency and international humanitarian law. During the conversation, Sophie and Gloria provide insights on how ‘listing' affects armed groups, civilians,...

What influences civilians' decision to stay or leave in times of armed conflict?  In this episode, Katharine and Florian talk to Mara Revkin and Justin Schon about their research on civilian decision-making, access to information and flight in Syria and Iraq. They discuss the concept of civilian agency and talk about the challenges of conducting research straddling multiple disciplines. Cited...

How do civilian communities negotiate with armed groups? What do people try to achieve in these negotiations? And what enables them to negotiate with an armed actor? In this episode, Katharine and Florian talk to Riyad Anwar, Ashley Jackson and Abellia Anggi Wardani about their novel research on civilian agency during the armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Myanmar. Cited documents: Weigand, F., An...

How do people protect themselves in violent environments outside of ‘traditional’ war zones? And to what extent does international humanitarian law (IHL), the law of armed conflict, apply in such contexts? In this episode, Katharine and Florian talk to Chiara Redaelli and Anjan Sundaram about Mexico. Together they dive into the activism and courage of indigenous frontline environmental defenders i...

More than half the world’s population are living in settings where they are regularly exposed to violence, whether from armed actors, gangs, community defence forces or criminal groups. What do civilian communities do to protect themselves and others in these settings? And what can we learn from them about civilian protection? To look at these questions, Katharine and Florian are joined by Juan Ma...

In this episode of ‘Beyond Compliance: In Conversation’, Katharine and Florian talk to two experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross about armed groups, civilian agency and international law. Almost 200 million people live in areas controlled or influenced by armed groups, finds the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). How do armed groups govern these areas? What does t...