www.cerac.org.co

CERAC’s Team

• Research Associates

• Researchers

• Support Staff

CERAC Research lines

Our current research topics are:

• Economic Analysis of Conflict and Violence

• Human Security

• Urban Security

• Conflict Measurement

• Demographic Impact of Violence and Conflict in Colombia

Conflict in Colombia

• Left-wing guerrillas – FARC (big) and ELN (small), illegal right-wing paramilitaries and government forces.

• Has been going on for a long time, possibly four decades depending on how you count.

• Low intensity – roughly 2,000 deaths per year over the last 16 years.

• Is linked with mass criminality, including drug dealing (coca and heroin), kidnapping, extortion, land and cattle theft, etc.

Methodology

• Periodicals from a local NGO, Justicia y Paz, lists events compiled from primary sources and from local and national press reports.

• We begin with these reports to create an event-based dataset.

• We include only clear conflict events, requiring each event to have a military effect and to reflect a group action.

Methodology

• The team investigates all big events plus a large random sample of smaller events.

• CERAC also has event lists from numerous other sources which we are gradually integrating.

• Presently we are integrating very comprehensive media coverage, even radio, going back to 2001. We hope that this will eventually allow us to update the data on a daily basis.

CERAC Dataset

• Covers the years 1988 – first half of 2005.

• Contains more than 21,000 events with a set of characteristics for each one.

CERAC Dataset

• Date.

• Participants - left-wing guerrillas, government forces and right-wing paramilitaries.

• Type of event – clash vs. attack with attacks divided into more than 40 categories.

CERAC Dataset

• Important attack types include massacres, bombings, attacks on economic infrastructure, incursions and aerial bombardments.

• Location – departments (states or counties), municipalities and points for many events.

• Casualties – killings and injuries of guerrillas, government forces, paramilitaries and civilians.

SARAC

• SARAC is an information system for analysis and registration of conflict actions.

• Developed at CERAC.

• Is in the implementation phase for Colombia and Perú.