Discrimination in post-conflict settings: Experimental evidence from Colombia

Peer Reviewed
31 May 2022

World Development

Kerstin Unfried, Marcela Ibañez Diaz, Lina Maria Restrepo-Plaza

Abstract

After a civil war, community support for the reintegration of ex-combatants is crucial for peace-building. Using a crowdfunding campaign to promote trainees’ business ideas, we investigate whether university students discriminate against ex-combatants in Colombia. Our results show that there is no discrimination against ex-combatants in terms of donations compared with other trainees, but there is a substantial degree of prejudice and skepticism. This finding suggests that the reintegration of ex-combatants might be affected by the NIMBY phenomena. Although willing to economically support the peace process, individuals are skeptical towards personal encounters with ex-combatants. This suggest that to achieve sustainable peace, policies should focus on decreasing stigmatization towards ex-combatants.

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Publication reference
Unfried, K., Ibañez Diaz, M., & Restrepo-Plaza, L. M. (2022). Discrimination in post-conflict settings: Experimental evidence from Colombia. World Development, 154, 105877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105877
Publication | 13 December 2022