BEYOND ACADEMIA – How we as researchers can successfully engage practice
Date: December 11th, 2023
Modality: in person
Place: PRIF- small conference room (5th floor)
Time: 2-4 pm
Please register in advance by sending an email to trace-coordination@prif.org by Monday, Nov 27, 2023.
When scholars discuss the field of political violence, they should ask what they can do with the new findings, concepts, and data about political violence, especially when state agencies, local communities, and international actors are involved, and different theoretical and empirical approaches are used. Based on the action research paradigm, this workshop aims to reflect on the concept of practice and identify some tools for working with practitioners in the field of political violence to go beyond academia and bridge the gap between the people who do the research and the people who access the information, make and implement decisions, or advocate for change. From this perspective, getting involved in activism, political advocacy for institutions, and media (such as newspapers or opinion programs) are to be understood as expressions of practice. The outcome of this workshop will be specific recommendations to different stakeholders on how to solve the challenges and issues identified in a common topic. The recommendations will be designed collectively, based on the knowledge, experiences and good practices shared in the two-hour workshop.
Miyerlandy Cabanzo is a research fellow at TraCe through the Technical University of Darmstadt and a visiting researcher for Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó (Colombia). Her background is based in Colombia. She is from Cali, has studied sociology in Universidad del Valle and holds a master’s degree in historical archiving and memory with Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In the last seven years, she has studied the relationship between participation, peace, and gender in Colombia and has written academic papers, briefs to political and international actors, opinion pieces for media, research reports and pedagogical booklets. Besides being a researcher, she is a peacebuilder and professor, and has worked with women, youth, LGBTIQ+ persons, ethnic groups, and peripheral territories from Colombia. Since 2022 she belongs to Agenda Joven, a youth and national network which she mentors, accompanies and advises for political advocacy and activism at the national and local level to achieve local peace with gender, ethnic, and youth perspective. It is particularly in this capacity in which she applies the knowledge she has acquired through research.