Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Do war economies thwart postwar transformations and peacebuilding? This paper reveals a complex relationship shaped by political regimes and state capacities. It suggests that postwar countries can strengthen democratic institutions and state presence, rather than being inherently doomed by their war economies.

Peace and conflict are not the same across territories and scales. Conceptualizing peace as a process based on three core functions of society and related norms allows us to identify variations in peacebuilding needs and perceptions. The entanglement of different scales shapes the diversity of peace and highlights the opportunities and challenges of peacebuilding and related norms, along with their diffusion and contestation.

In Guatemala, President Bernardo Arévalo took office on 15 January 2024, raising hopes of democratic reform. Still, an entrenched elite has continuously distorted the independence of the judiciary. Not only are elections highly contested; democracy itself is on the line. Can Guatemala turn the tide?

Venezuela has been one of the most violent countries without a formal war. Nevertheless, the debate on the multiple crises, focuses on the political regime and not the underlying conflicts. Venezuela provides evidence that a peacebuilding perspective on multiple crises outside of war is fruitful and helps us to understand the main dynamics.

Venezuela und der Iran sind seit langem wirtschaftlich und ideologisch eng miteinander verbunden. Sie teilen einen anti-westlichen Kurs. Offen ist, wie sich das entschiedene Vorgehen der Trump-Regierung in Richtung Venezuela und Iran auf das Verhältnis der beiden Staaten zueinander auswirkt.

In Kolumbien wurden bei Kämpfen zwischen Rebellengruppen in den vergangenen Tagen mindestens 100 Menschen getötet. Anlässlich dieser jüngsten Eskalation der Gewalt beschreibt Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach in einem Interview mit Tim Eggimann von SRF 4 – Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen – die aktuelle Lage im Land und gibt Hintergrundinformationen.

Experts Workshop Port Cities Fighting Transatlantic Drug Trafficking, Hamburg International Maritime Museum, Hamburg Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), European Union - Latin America and the Caribbean Foundation Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach (Organiser), Julia Kramer (Organiser), Dr. Jonas von Hoffmann (Organiser), Janaina Maldonado Guerra da Cunha (Organiser), PD Dr. Dr. Ariel Macaspac Hernandez (Organiser), Eduardo Valencia (Organiser)

Experts from diverse fields gather to explore the challenges of illicit drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe and beyond. Focusing on ports as key hubs, they examine underlying dynamics and emerging trends, available data and common misconceptions, community impacts and civil society’s role.

Organiser: German Institute for Global and Area Studies Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach (Speaker)

Why is it important and what is the added value of studying Latin America?
Main Seminar of the LAC Oxford University reflecting on the perspectives from Germany, France and the UK.