German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Short CV

Since 04/2024: President of the GIGA (ad interim)
08/2023-03/2024: Co-Leader of the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies (ad interim)
Since 06/2018: Honorary professorship at the Philipps-University Marburg
06/2018 - 01/2020: Acting Director of the GIGA Institute of Latin American Studies
09/2006 - 10/2008: Senior Researcher DSF-Project "Societal and political Fractures after War: Youth Violence in Cambodia and Guatemala", INEF, University Duisburg-Essen.
Since 1993: Senior Researcher of the GIGA Institute of Latin American Studies, research interests: peace and conflict, security policies, youth Regional focus Central America, Andean Region.
Since 1992: Independent Consultant (among others for the Foreign Ministry, Minis-try of Development Cooperation, GTZ, Bertelsmann Transformation Index).
1991: PhD in Political Science, University of Hamburg.
1990 - 1992: Researcher at the Research Center on Wars, Armament and Development, University of Hamburg.
1987 - 1990: Researcher at the Institute of Political Science University of Hamburg (Prof. Dr. K.J. Gantzel), Coordination of the Research Group on Cau-ses of War.
1987: Researcher at the Institute for Iberoamerican Studies, Hamburg (July - September)
Education: Studies in Political Science, Spanish, Contemporary History in Madrid, Erlangen, Sevilla and Hamburg

Current Research

Postwar Societies
Violence and Social change
Youth

Countries and Regions

Central America
Colombia

Research Programmes

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

T. +49 (40) 42825-570 [email protected]

Press photo (1.14 mb, jpg)

Research Project | 01/03/2021 - 31/08/2022

COVID-19 and the Dynamics of (Post-)War Violence: Lessons from Colombia and Syria

What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamics of violence during and after civil wars? The project analyses the pandemic-related reconfiguration of social and political orders in a comparative study of Syria and Colombia at subnational levels. In this way, it will provide new knowledge on violence dynamics in two of the most complex conflicts today and be able to suggest crucial lessons for similar (post-)war contexts in other parts of the world.
Volkswagen Foundation, 2021-2022

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Dr. André Bank

Dr. Viviana García Pinzón

Selman Almohamad

Research Project | 01/01/2021 - 31/12/2024

PEACEptions

Providing a conceptual framework in which different ideas of peace can be highlighted and their differences analysed in order to be able to formulate concrete proposals for peacebuilding is at the heart of this project. The concept is based on three elements whose meaning crosses historical and cultural boundaries: physical integrity, individual and collective human rights, and constructive conflict transformation.
FES, 2021-2023

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Kristina Birke Daniels

Katharina Wegner

Nina Netzer

The Entanglements of Peace: Reflections on the long road of transforming the armed conflict in Colombia

Edited Volume | FESCOL Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Colombia | 08/2021

The Entanglements of Peace: Reflections on the long road of transforming the armed conflict in Colombia

The publication of this study, which seeks to analyse and understand the variety of conceptions of peace in Colombia, comes at a key but complex moment. The context of the pandemic has not only had an impact on the health of the Colombian population, but also on the quality of life of households.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Kristina Birke Daniels

Friedrich Ebert Foundation Colombia

Building Pathways to Peace: State–Society Relations and Security Sector Reform

Elements in International Relations | Cambridge University Press | 11/2023

Building Pathways to Peace: State–Society Relations and Security Sector Reform

Local actors should be involved in peacebuilding processes and security sector reforms (SSR). The book presents a feminist and intersectoral conceptualisation of SSR as well as quantitative and qualitative findings from 42 post-conflict societies as well as from Afghanistan and Colombia. Open Access until 11 December 2023!

Associate

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

How to deal with Non-state Armed Actors

Infographic | 09/2023

How to deal with Non-state Armed Actors

Dealing with NSAAs is complicated and complex shifting between repression and dialogue. NSAAs are highly flexibkle and able to adapt to changing local and global contexts. Policies must be comprehensive and include local communities as well as structural drivers of violence.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Yannick Deepen

Former GIGA Team member

Research Project | 01/03/2021 - 31/08/2022

COVID-19 and the Dynamics of (Post-)War Violence: Lessons from Colombia and Syria

What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamics of violence during and after civil wars? The project analyses the pandemic-related reconfiguration of social and political orders in a comparative study of Syria and Colombia at subnational levels. In this way, it will provide new knowledge on violence dynamics in two of the most complex conflicts today and be able to suggest crucial lessons for similar (post-)war contexts in other parts of the world.
Volkswagen Foundation, 2021-2022

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Dr. André Bank

Dr. Viviana García Pinzón

Selman Almohamad

Research Project | 01/01/2021 - 31/12/2024

PEACEptions

Providing a conceptual framework in which different ideas of peace can be highlighted and their differences analysed in order to be able to formulate concrete proposals for peacebuilding is at the heart of this project. The concept is based on three elements whose meaning crosses historical and cultural boundaries: physical integrity, individual and collective human rights, and constructive conflict transformation.
FES, 2021-2023

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Kristina Birke Daniels

Katharina Wegner

Nina Netzer

The Entanglements of Peace: Reflections on the long road of transforming the armed conflict in Colombia

Edited Volume | FESCOL Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Colombia | 08/2021

The Entanglements of Peace: Reflections on the long road of transforming the armed conflict in Colombia

The publication of this study, which seeks to analyse and understand the variety of conceptions of peace in Colombia, comes at a key but complex moment. The context of the pandemic has not only had an impact on the health of the Colombian population, but also on the quality of life of households.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Kristina Birke Daniels

Friedrich Ebert Foundation Colombia

Building Pathways to Peace: State–Society Relations and Security Sector Reform

Elements in International Relations | Cambridge University Press | 11/2023

Building Pathways to Peace: State–Society Relations and Security Sector Reform

Local actors should be involved in peacebuilding processes and security sector reforms (SSR). The book presents a feminist and intersectoral conceptualisation of SSR as well as quantitative and qualitative findings from 42 post-conflict societies as well as from Afghanistan and Colombia. Open Access until 11 December 2023!

Associate

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

How to deal with Non-state Armed Actors

Infographic | 09/2023

How to deal with Non-state Armed Actors

Dealing with NSAAs is complicated and complex shifting between repression and dialogue. NSAAs are highly flexibkle and able to adapt to changing local and global contexts. Policies must be comprehensive and include local communities as well as structural drivers of violence.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Yannick Deepen

Former GIGA Team member

Research Project | 01/03/2021 - 31/08/2022

COVID-19 and the Dynamics of (Post-)War Violence: Lessons from Colombia and Syria

What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamics of violence during and after civil wars? The project analyses the pandemic-related reconfiguration of social and political orders in a comparative study of Syria and Colombia at subnational levels. In this way, it will provide new knowledge on violence dynamics in two of the most complex conflicts today and be able to suggest crucial lessons for similar (post-)war contexts in other parts of the world.
Volkswagen Foundation, 2021-2022

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Dr. André Bank

Dr. Viviana García Pinzón

Selman Almohamad

Research Project | 01/01/2021 - 31/12/2024

PEACEptions

Providing a conceptual framework in which different ideas of peace can be highlighted and their differences analysed in order to be able to formulate concrete proposals for peacebuilding is at the heart of this project. The concept is based on three elements whose meaning crosses historical and cultural boundaries: physical integrity, individual and collective human rights, and constructive conflict transformation.
FES, 2021-2023

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Kristina Birke Daniels

Katharina Wegner

Nina Netzer

GIGA Focus Latin America | 2/2025

Latin America: Germany’s Indispensable Partner

Trump’s disruptive policies could inadvertently provide the impetus to bring Europe and Latin America closer together. With smart policies, the incoming German government can leverage shared interests for a renewed partnership.

Prof. Dr. Bert Hoffmann

Dr. Jonas von Hoffmann

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos

Janaina Maldonado Guerra da Cunha

Dr. Tomas Costa de Azevedo Marques

Prof. Dr. Detlef Nolte

Désirée Marlen Reder

Dr. Cordula Tibi Weber

World Development | 03/2025

Non-State Armed Actors, War Economies and Postwar Violence – Examining the Connections

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.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Prof. Dr. Angelika Rettberg

Dr. Gabriel Rosero

Dr. José Salguero

Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding | 03/2024

Variations of Peace in Colombia

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.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

GIGA Focus Latin America | 1/2024

Guatemala: A Vote for Turning the Tide

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?

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Désirée Marlen Reder

Alina Maria Ripplinger

Country Studies | 2024

From Criminal Peace to Cititzen’s Peace: The Case of Venezuela

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.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Research Project | 01/04/2023 - 31/03/2027

Context Matters – Country-Specific Politico-Economic Analyses, Conflict and Crisis Potentials, as well as Global and Regional Trends / Phase III

The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the strategic capability of German development cooperation in the context of the BMZ 2030 reform concept are based on in-depth knowledge of country-specific, regional and global developments. The GIGA provides annual information on actors and governance structures as well as on conflict potentials in countries of the Global South. Additionally, important regional and global trends are analysed with a comparative area perspective.
BMZ, 2023-2027

Research Project | 01/03/2021 - 31/08/2022

COVID-19 and the Dynamics of (Post-)War Violence: Lessons from Colombia and Syria

What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamics of violence during and after civil wars? The project analyses the pandemic-related reconfiguration of social and political orders in a comparative study of Syria and Colombia at subnational levels. In this way, it will provide new knowledge on violence dynamics in two of the most complex conflicts today and be able to suggest crucial lessons for similar (post-)war contexts in other parts of the world.
Volkswagen Foundation, 2021-2022

Research Project | 01/01/2021 - 31/03/2024

Democratizing Security in Turbulent Times

How is security provided in turbulent times and how does this affect the relationship between democracy and security? The proposed research training group examines fundamental reconfigurations of the relationship between security and democracy against the backdrop of growing political and societal polarisation, the advent of new digital technologies and the rescaling of security to arenas below and beyond the state.
Landesforschungsförderung Hamburg, 2021-2023

Research Project | 01/01/2021 - 31/12/2026

Leibniz Research Network "Environmental Crises - Crisis Environments"

The Leibniz Research Network "Environmental Crises - Crisis Environments" (Leibniz CrisEn), led by PRIF, bundles and networks the professional and methodological-technical competencies of 15 Leibniz Institutes in the environmental, life, spatial, social and economic sciences. The researchers of the participating institutions record and investigate crisis-like environmental changes and the interactions between the scientific and social phenomena that underlie the attributions or denials of the changes in our environment as crises.
Leibniz Association, 2021 - 2026

Deutsche Welle online | Quote | 23/02/2025

Deutsche Welle: Venezuela und der Iran - Partner unter Druck

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.

SRF 4 | Interview | 24/01/2025

Gewalt in Kolumbien

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.

Tagesspiegel | Interview | 17/01/2025

Tagesspiegel Plus„Maduro hat Angst“ : Wie sieht Venezuelas Zukunft aus?

Nicolás Maduro beginnt seine dritte Amtszeit – ohne seinen Wahlsieg bewiesen zu haben. GIGA-Expertin Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach spricht im Tagesspiegel darüber, was das Land erwartet und wie die Welt mit dem Diktator umgehen sollte.

Cooperation Event | 07/04/2025 - 08/04/2025

Experts Workshop Port Cities Fighting Transatlantic Drug Trafficking

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.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

Dr. Jonas von Hoffmann

Janaina Maldonado Guerra da Cunha

PD Dr. Dr. Ariel Macaspac Hernandez

Eduardo Valencia

Latin American Centre, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford | 22/10/2024

What are Latin American Studies for?

Organiser: Latin American Centre, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford, Oxford School of 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.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Workshop | 22/02/2024 - 23/02/2024

Beyond the Liberal Peace: The Importance of Human Rights for Peace

IBEI-GIGA Workshop Security, Conflict and Peace, IBEI, Barcelona Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach (Speaker)

Over the last decade liberal peacebuilding was heavily criticised for its Eurocentric bias privileging civil and political rights. Nevertheless, peacebuilding needs a normative frame based not only on individual rights but also on collective human rights as the basis for violence reduction, participation and conflict transformation.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Teaching | Philipps-Universität Marburg | 2020

Lateinamerika brennt

Philipps-Universität Marburg Marburg Germany

Mittelseminar Friedens- und Konfliktforschung FB 03

Teaching | Universität Hamburg | 2015

Violence and Inequality in Latin America

Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany

Teaching | Universität Hamburg | 2011

Youth and Violence

Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany

Notification

Sign up to receive email notifications about GIGA activities

Social Media

Follow us