Click here to download a copy of my recent book chapter in Livelihoods, Natural Resources, and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding eited by Helen Young & Lisa Goldman, with a forward by Jan Egeland.

The book includes a chapter I wrote in 2009 as part of a Research Assistantship for my Master’s degree at McGill University. The chapter provides a preliminary discussion of the opportunities and challenges associated with deploying former combatants as parks and wildlife management personnel in post-conflict environments. Initial experience from Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique illustrates that while DDR programs must take into account the specific socio-political, economic, and institutional dynamics of the particular post-war situation, former combatants can contribute to parks and wildlife services once the rehabilitation of protected areas becomes a priority. Beyond generating employment for potential spoilers, incorporating ex-combatants into natural resource management can offer a unique opportunity to promote community integration while contributing to post-conflict development.