Insights into how illicit drugs – and drug policies – impact the dynamics of violence and peace, poverty and development, and insecurity and resilience.
Jangul: conflict and drug trafficking in Afghanistan’s borderlands
This comic tells Jangul’s life story, in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan and how he ended up smuggling heroin from Kabul to Moscow.
Una conversación sobre erradicación forzada, PNIS y los acuerdos con campesinos cultivadores de cultivos de uso ilícito
This video is currently only available in Spanish. Entrevista virtuale con Pedro Arenas, investigador de la Corporación Viso Mutop.
Afghanistan: about the borderlands
Afghanistan is a land-locked mountainous country with a population of some 38 million. It is classified as ‘low income’ and ranks 168 out of 188 according to the HDI. As of 2016, an estimated 54.5% of Afghanistan’s population lived below the poverty line. Located along the historic Silk Road, Afghanistan has long been integrated into […]
Colombia: about the borderlands
Colombia is a regionally, environmentally and ethnically diverse country with a population of about 48 million people. It is ranked 79 out of 189 countries on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Human Development Index (HDI) and is classified by the World Bank as belonging to the ‘upper middle income’ group. However, Colombia is also one of the most unequal countries […]
Myanmar: about the borderlands
Myanmar is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia with a population of about 53 million people. It shares extensive borders with Bangladesh, India, the Peoples Republic of China (incorporating Tibet), Laos and Thailand. Although the country has vast natural resources, most of the population is extremely poor. The country is ranked 145 out of […]
About Voices from the borderlands 2020
Voices from the borderlands 2020 is one of several Drugs & (dis)order outputs that aim to shed light on the experiences and perspectives of people involved in illicit drugs in seven borderland regions of Colombia, Afghanistan and Myanmar. It is intended for a broad audience of researchers, practitioners and policymakers working on issues related to […]
Policy implications
Important policy insights and implications from Voices from the borderlands 2020.
A policy impasse and way forward
The challenges and ways forward to better integrate drugs, development and peacebuilding policy.
Reflections
What the voices from the borderlands tell us about war-to-peace transitions, borderland development, and drugs and everyday lives.
Voices from Myanmar
Voices from communities affected by rising drug use in two Myanmar borderland states.
Voices from Colombia
Voices from coca growers, pickers and community leaders in three Colombian borderland regions.
Voices from Afghanistan
Voices from opium traders and transporters in two Afghanistan borderland provinces.
Erradicación forzada: una política que mata
Un especial multimedia sobre los incidentes en medio de las labores de erradicación forzada manual. English version coming soon!
Ana Maria Arjona on illicit drugs and public engagement in Colombia
Ana Maria Arjona, former director of CESED at the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia talks about the importance of policy and public engagement for transforming illicit drug economies into sustainable peacetime economies.
Nicholas Thomson on the health dimensions of illicit drug economies
Nicholas Thomson, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine talks about his work exploring the health dimensions of illicit drug economies in conflict-affected states.
Jasmine Bhatia on challenging prevailing narratives about drugs and conflict
Jasmine Bhatia, Research Fellow at SOAS, University of London talks about how drug economies are often deeply embedded in communities in ways that are very complicated.
Patrick Meehan on illicit drug economies in conflict-affected states
Patrick Meehan, Research Fellow at SOAS, University of London talks about how we seek to better understand how illicit economies can be deeply embedded in the social, political and economic dynamics of regions.
Sara Wong on visual storytelling in research
Sara Wong, Programme Manager at PositiveNegatives talks about how visual storytelling is being used to help people participate in the research process and to communicate complex issues to local and international audiences.
Camilo Acero Vargas on tough trade-offs for Colombia’s coca farmers
Camilo Acero Vargas, Political Scientist at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia talks about the positive and negative impacts of coca economies for farmers.