Repurposed Rebels

Despite peace agreements, demobilization, and reintegration processes, the end of war does not automatically or necessarily make combatants abandon their wartime rebel networks. In Liberia such structures have lingered long after the civil war came to an end in 2003. Weak formal security institutions with a history of predatory behavior have contributed to the creation of an environment where informal initiatives for security and protection are called upon. In fragile postwar settings, former soldiers can be used as intimidators but have paradoxically reemerged as security providers, challenging our understanding of both the setting and the actors beyond the sphere of war. Based on original interview material and findings from fieldwork, Repurposed Rebels follows former rebel soldiers from the time of civil war to 2013. These actors have reemerged as “recycled” warriors in times of regional wars and crisis and as vigilantes and informal security providers for economic and political purposes. Through these actors, Mariam Bjarnesen examines the relevance of postwar rebel networks and ex-combatant identity in contemporary Liberia, with an eye to understanding the underlying aims of demobilization when reintegration is challenged. Bjarnesen argues that these ex-combatants have succeeded in reintegrating themselves due to, not despite, the fact that they have not been truly demobilized.

This book examines the operational and political challenges facing UN peace operations deployed in countries where civil war and protracted violence have given rise to the complex and distinctive political economies of conflict. The volume explores the nature and impact of such political economies – informal systems of power and influence formed by the interaction of local, national, and region-wide war economies with the political agendas of conflict actors – on the course of UN peace operations. It focuses in detail on the UN’s long-running peace operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Somalia. The book is centrally concerned with the interaction of UN missions with the power structures and local conflict dynamics that shape individual mission settings, and the challenges these pose for mediation, protection of civilians, and other tasks. It also offers a critical assessment of the various ways in which the UN ‘system’, from its headquarters in New York to the field, has confronted the policy challenges posed by political economies of conflict-affected states, societies, and regions. It advances a pragmatic set of policy recommendations aimed at improving the UN’s ability to confront predatory and exploitative war economies. At the same time, the volume makes it clear that political and institutional obstacles to more effective UN action are certain to remain profound and are unlikely ever to be fully overcome let alone eradicated. Despite making some progress since the 1990s to better understand the political economy of civil wars, the UN has struggled with how to tackle informal networks of power and their consequences for efforts to end wars. The book will be of special interest to students of war and conflict studies, statebuilding, political economy of conflict, UN interventionism and peacebuilding, and IR/Security in general.

During global capitalism's long ascent from 1600–1850, workers of all kinds—slaves, indentured servants, convicts, domestic workers, soldiers, and sailors—repeatedly ran away from their masters and bosses, with profound effects. A Global History of Runaways, edited by Marcus Rediker, Titas Chakraborty, and Matthias van Rossum, compares and connects runaways in the British, Danish, Dutch, French, Mughal, Portuguese, and American empires. Together these essays show how capitalism required vast numbers of mobile workers who would build the foundations of a new economic order. At the same time, these laborers challenged that order—from the undermining of Danish colonization in the seventeenth century to the igniting of civil war in the United States in the nineteenth.

Anya, a former Dragonrider, wrestles with loyalty and deception in a rebellion against a tyrannical regime. Unlikely Alliances and Hidden Agendas: Anya, a young woman raised in the world of Dragonriders, finds herself questioning everything she knows. When she defies orders and sides with the rebellion, she enters a world of desperate struggle and hidden agendas. Escape from the Caves and Into the Wilderness: Trapped with the rebels after a cave collapse, Anya must use her knowledge and newfound courage to lead them to safety. But the journey is fraught with danger, with the ever-present threat of Dragonriders and the harsh realities of survival in the wild. A Mysterious Figure and the Whisperers: Anya encounters a shadowy figure who promises to help them reach an abandoned watchtower, their only escape route from the kingdom. But upon arrival, she discovers a council of powerful individuals, the Whisperers, who operate behind the scenes with their own motives. The Rebellion's True Face: Are the rebels truly fighting for a better future, or are they merely pawns in a larger game? Anya is forced to confront the complexities of the rebellion and the Whisperers' manipulative tactics. A Choice Between Two Evils: Anya is caught in a web of deceit. Does she trust the Whisperers, who offer a path to safety but harbor hidden agendas, or does she remain loyal to the rebels, whose noble cause may be clouded by manipulation? This captivating fantasy adventure explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the true cost of freedom. Anya's journey will keep you guessing as she navigates a world of political intrigue, dangerous creatures, and the fight for a better future.

This first-of-its-kind collection presents photographer Karlheinz Weinberger’s influential portraits of rebel youth of the sixties. While Karlheinz Weinberger is known as a pioneer of male erotic imagery, the Swiss amateur photographer also left an indelible mark on the fashion world with his decades-long documenting of vibrant rebel youth culture. These working-class teenagers created looks that fused iconic American pop culture imagery—biker jackets, denim jeans, bouffant hairdos, James Dean insouciance—with their own idiosyncratic sensibilities. From the late 1950s through the ’60s, Weinberger captured the defiant glamour of these youths with a keen eye for their provocative handmade designs. Inspired by the rebel youth’s pop playfulness and fierce individuality, a legion of contemporary fashion-industry leaders have been profoundly influenced by the photographs collected in this stunning volume.

The original Star Wars trilogy famously follows Joseph Campbell's model for the hero's journey, making Luke Skywalker's story the new hero quest for a modern age. With the nine-plus film saga complete, however, new story patterns have emerged as the hero's journey is imagined over and over for characters of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. The prequels offer the plot arc of the villain's journey through Anakin. Leia and Padme, while damsels in the men's story, break out to undergo their own ordeals. The heroine's journey is exemplified by Rey and Jyn. Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Vader must accept the loss of power and fade into spirit guardians, perpetuating the lifecycle. By the sequel era, the original trio become mentors to the younger generation and finally must do the same. Meanwhile, the Mandalorian explores a different form of the quest as he transforms from immature warrior to patriarch. This book tracks the journeys of over 20 characters throughout the franchise.

When a revolutionary uprising erupted in Syria during the spring of 2011, pockets of local resistance and the nascent institutions therein transformed into clusters of rudimentary participatory politics and service delivery. Despite the collective fatigue induced by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States and its allies embarked on an effort to encourage liberal, democratic politics amid the Syrian conflict. As a result, the project of 'good rebel governance' became the latest attempt at Western democracy promotion. This book moves the scholarship on insurgent rule forward by considering how governing authority arises and evolves during violent conflict, and whether particular institutions of insurgent rule can be cultivated through foreign intervention. In so doing, the book theorizes not only about the nature of authoritative rebel governance but also tests the long-standing precepts that have undergirded Western promotion of democracy abroad.

This uniquely interdisciplinary study of Black cultural critics Armond White and Paul Gilroy spans continents and decades of rebellion and revolution. Drawing on an eclectic mix of archival research, politics, film theory, and pop culture, Daniel McNeil examines two of the most celebrated and controversial Black thinkers working today. Thinking While Black takes us on a transatlantic journey through the radical movements that rocked against racism in 1970s Detroit and Birmingham, the rhythms of everyday life in 1980s London and New York, and the hype and hostility generated by Oscar-winning films like 12 Years a Slave. The lives and careers of White and Gilroy—along with creative contemporaries of the post–civil rights era such as Bob Marley, Toni Morrison, Stuart Hall, and Pauline Kael—should matter to anyone who craves deeper and fresher thinking about cultural industries, racism, nationalism, belonging, and identity.