Work

A theory of the symbolic role of disarmament during peace processes: The laying down of FARC-EP’s weapons in Colombia

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Disarmament of non-state groups during peace processes is rarely comprehensive and weapons usually continue to circulate. Nevertheless, disarmament is a normal component of final peace agreements and its modalities are often intensely negotiated by all parties. We unpack the puzzle of why disarmament is seemingly both crucial and not completed by building a novel theory of its role as a symbol of the transformation from war to peace. In doing so, we build upon findings from conflict studies, social psychology, anthropology, and feminist research in order to explore what weapons and disarmament mean for combatants, their armed group, and communities impacted by conflict. We posit that after joining an armed group combatants are socially fused through ritual behavior which often features weapons, and disarmament functions as a symbolic inversion process in which the weapon is transformed into a symbol of peace. This inversion process is observable through language and acts, such as public destruction of arms or turning weapons into works of art. We empirically illustrate our propositions by examining the case of FARC-EP’s 2016–2017 disarmament in Colombia. Our theoretical framework pushes existing academic boundaries of war-to-peace transitions in general, and research on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration in particular.

Source: Security Dialogue

DOI: 10.1177/09670106241265640

Authors: Júlia Palik, Nicholas Marsh

Institution: Peace Research Institute Oslo

Language: English

Topic: Conflict, Peace, and Violence in Colombia

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450