Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia (Suny Series in Global Politics) [Hardcover]

Nazih Richani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2002 | Series: Suny Series in Global Politics

Examines the conditions that have led to protracted violence in Columbia.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This work examines the political, economic, and military factors that have contributed to thirty-seven years of protracted violent conflict in Colombia. Using four years of field research, and more than 200 interviews, Nazih Richani examines Colombia's war system-the systemic interlacing relationship among actors in conflict, their respective political economy, and also the overall political economy of the system they help in creating. Two key questions are raised: Why do some conflicts protract, and when they do protract, what type of socioeconomic and political configurations make peaceful resolutions difficult to obtain? Also addressed are the lessons of other protracted conflicts, such as those found in Lebanon, Angola, and Italy.

About the Author

Nazih Richani is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Kean University. He is the author of Dilemmas of Democracy and Political Parties in Sectarian Societies: The Case of the PSP in Lebanon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 225 pages
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791453456
• ISBN-13: 978-0791453452
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,784,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good data, weak analysis..., December 13, 2003

By 

Peter Larose (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia (Suny Series in Global Politics) (Paperback)

This book is worth perusing for students and academics who want to understand the various ways that Colombia's armed groups procure economic resources in order to fuel their struggles. However it does not do a sufficient job on the "greed versus grievance" debate, nor does it really encapsulate the importance of social movements or the effects of political inclusion and exclusion upon propelling groups to use non-democratic means in the first place. Some academics may find this book to be useful, especially those uninitiated to the Colombian conflict who study armed groups and security. Non-academics will find the book to be neither particularly interesting nor beneficial to understanding the complexity of the conflict...

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 24, 2004

By 

Bob Bell aka Ryan H (Olympus, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia (Suny Series in Global Politics) (Paperback)

This is a great piece of work! Good job Dr. Richani! Excellent! Excellent! I am looking forward for next book!

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Leaves to be desired, August 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia (Suny Series in Global Politics) (Paperback)

Another attempt by an outside oberserver to understand conflicts that are peculiar to South America and its political culture. Accordingly, the analysis does not grasp the intenal dynamics and psychology of the conflict. This book leaves much to be desired.