Fieldwork in Post-Conflict Settings: A fireside chat about interviewing former combatants and activists in Nepal

About the Chat:

Appropriately responding to Human Rights abuses, civilian resistance, and global conflict were critically important to FDR’s time as President. Governmental abuse of power, coupled with horrific acts of violence, around the globe led to the United States’ involvement in World War Two and shaped global relations for the past 80 years. While the actors have changed, Human Rights violations continue to occur around the world. It is vital to understand how populations respond to these abuses in order to inform, comprehend, and predict actions and reactions around the globe. Come hear Christopher Shay discuss his field work in Nepal, and his research on the effectiveness of violent and non-violent resistance!

About the Speaker:

Christopher Shay is a doctoral student and research fellow at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He studies international relations and comparative politics, with a focus on political violence, insurgencies (both violent and nonviolent), and state repression. His dissertation research uses statistical evidence to show that governments (even newly established democracies) usually fail to alleviate human rights abuse after conflicts, and attempts to explain why some countries manage to break out of the ‘repression trap’. Aside from his doctoral research, Christopher manages the Nonviolent and Violent Campaigns and Outcomes (NAVCO) data project for Dr. Erica Chenoweth, and also provides analysis on India’s long-running Naxalite (Maoist) insurgency to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Prior to beginning his graduate studies, Christopher worked with the Student Conservation Association and the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a conservation educator, a fire ecology research assistant, and as a wildland firefighter.