Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FOCRIS (The Spatial Dimension of Insurgent-Civilian Relations: Routinised Insurgent Space)
Période du rapport: 2021-11-15 au 2023-11-14
Primarily, FOCRIS established that the traditional categorisation of urban and/or rural movements, is an unsatisfactory method to identify the reasons behind support for armed movements. Factors such as local past histories of mobilisation, state violence, decisions and behaviour of local (not overall) elements of movements, changing targets and patterns of violence, ideological rigidity, the presence/absence of other movements and state organisations, but most importantly the degree of rebel governance established by the movements in local communities were key to understanding why insurgent groups obtained and maintained support.
Fieldwork in the initial part of the project was limited by COVID restrictions.
Nevertheless, a period of fieldwork was successfully conducted in late 2023 in Colombia, in the cities of Cali and Bogota. I renewed my existing contacts and network with the M-19 and in Cali further expanded it. In short, through this albeit brief period of fieldwork, I have an abundance of primary data, totalling 15,5 hours of audio data, and access to movement archives that are not publicly available. In the Kurdish case, I conducted eight interviews in Germany with people who had experienced the conflict in Kurdistan either as members of the PKK or victims of state violence and repression. In total I conducted 16 interviews & focus groups.
FOCRIS resulted in three publications in high ranking peer reviewed journals already published, a confirmed special issue which I will co-edit as well as contributong an original article summarising FOCRIS most important findings. Additionally, a further special issue focusing on land in Kurdish politics is under review, which I would again co-edit and contribute a research article.