Monika Thakur
Assistant Professor, International Relations
Office: Ross Building, S672
Email: thakurm@yorku.ca
Primary website: https://m4monika.wordpress.com/
I specialize in the areas of International Security, Peace and Conflict Studies, foreign policy analysis, fragility, conflict and security, climate change and violence, and the Global South with a focus on Africa, Middle East and South Asia.
My most recent publication is the co-authored book, Militias and the Challenges of Post-Conflict Peace: Silencing the Guns. I am currently working on a book entitled Fragility in the Global South: Bridging Gaps in Theory, Practice and Policy; and an edited volume, Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press).
I have extensive research experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Jordan, Egypt, Myanmar, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, and international development work experience in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
I have previously taught at various universities in Canada and around the world, including at the LSE, London Metropolitan University, American University in Cairo, McMaster University, Concordia University, York University and St. Francis Xavier University.
I will be teaching the following courses:
- POLS 2940 (Introduction to International Politics)
- POLS 4262 (Gun Politics)
- POLS 6220 (Contemporary Security Studies; graduate level)
Degrees
PhD International Relations, London School of EconomicsMSc International Relations, London School of Economics
BA Political Science, University of Toronto
Research Interests
Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives, edited volume – single Editor and Contributor (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press; manuscript under review).
Militias and the Challenges of Post-Conflict Peace: Silencing the Guns (co-authored with C. Alden, M. Arnold), 2011, Zed Books/Palgrave
Fragility in the Global South : Bridging Gaps in Theory, Practice and Policy, single-author book (manuscript to be prepared)
‘Peacebuilding in Myanmar: Moving Beyond Ceasefires?’, co-authored with M. Arnold, in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives, Monika Thakur, ed., (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press; manuscript under review)
‘Peacebuilding: A Conceptual Framework’, in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives, Monika Thakur, ed., (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press; manuscript under review)
‘Transitional Justice in Chad’, in the Encyclopedia of Transitional Justice, Lavinia Stan and Nadya Nedelsky, eds., Cambridge University Press (forthcoming 2019)
‘China’s Role in Somalia’, edited volume, Globalising Somalia: Multilateral, International 2. ‘Somalia-China Relations: China Claiming its Place as a Global Actor?’, in Emma Leonard and Gilbert Ramsay (eds.), Globalizing Somalia: Multilateral, International, and Transnational Repercussions of Conflict (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013).
‘Fragile States: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice’, Global Policy, 3, 3, September 2012.
‘Militias: A Conceptual Framework’ (with C. Alden, M. Arnold), Strategic Review for Southern Africa, XXXIII, 1, May 2011.
‘Building on Progress? Chinese Engagement in Ethiopia’ (SAIIA Occasional Paper No. 38, July 2009).
‘Demilitarizing Militias in the Kivus, eastern DR Congo’, African Security Review, 17, 1, 2008.
Review of Thomas Callagy, Ronald Kassimir and Robert Latham (Editors), Intervention and Transnationalism in Africa: Global and Local Networks of Power (2001); Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 32, 1, 2003
Review of John F. Clark (Editor), The African Stakes of the Congo War (2002); Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 32, 3, 2003
‘Rise of Violent Extremist in the Global South’ (presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, April 2018, San Francisco, USA)
‘Women in Terrorist Organization: The Case of Boko Haram’ (presented at theInternational Studies Association Annual Conference, April 2018, San Francisco, USA)
‘The Role of the ICC in Transitional Justice in ‘Post-Conflict’ States’ (presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2014, Toronto, Canada)
‘Conceptualising African Foreign Policy: A Comparative Perspective’, presented at International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2011, Montreal, Canada.
‘Africa Does Matter! A Dialectic between African Area Studies and International Relations Theory’, presented at the Canadian Association of African Studies Annual Conference, May 2010, Ottawa, Canada.
‘One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? China’s Engagement in Africa’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, February 2009, New York City, USA.
‘The Impact of China’s Role in Africa’, presented at the Canadian Political Science Association Annual Conference, May 2009, Ottawa, Canada.
‘Elusive Peace in the DR Congo: Armed Groups and Militias in the Kivus and Ituri’ (also Co-Chair of Panel, ‘Conceptualizing Armed Groups and Militias in ‘Post-Conflict’ Environments’), presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2008, San Francisco, USA.
‘The Discursive Use of Magic, the Occult and Witchcraft in Contemporary Warfare in Africa’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2007, Chicago, USA.
‘The Trigger of Africa: War and Elusive Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2007, Chicago, USA.
‘God’s Warriors and Lucifer’s Army: A Comparative Analysis of ‘Terrorist Organizations’ and African Militias’, with R. Singh (also Co-Chair of Panel, ‘Playing by their Own Rules: Delinquent Non-State Actors’), presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2006, San Diego, USA.
‘Seizing Common Ground: Engaging IR Theory and African Area Studies’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2006, San Diego, USA.
‘The International Dimensions of the Conflict in the DR Congo’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2005, Honolulu, USA.
‘The Role of African Actors and MONUC in the DR Congo Conflict’, presented at the London School of Economics Africa Forum, Panel on ‘The Role of European and African Actors in the DR Congo’, February 2005, London School of Economics, UK.
‘The Greed-Grievances Nexus: Understanding Uganda’s Intervention in the DR Congo’, presented at the British International Studies Association Annual Conference, December 2004, University of Warwick, UK.
‘Ugandan Foreign Policy in the Great Lakes Region of Africa’, presented at the ‘Politics of the Great Lakes of Africa’ Panel (also served as Chair of the Panel), African Studies Association/Canadian Association of African Studies Annual Conference, November 2004, New Orleans, USA.
‘China’s Engagement with the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti’, China’s Engagement with Africa, organised by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the U.S. Department of State, and the National Intelligence Council, Meridian House, Washington, D.C., 28 July 2010.
‘China’s Role in the Horn of Africa and North-East Africa: Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Egypt’, Conference on International Governance Innovation: China in the Shifting World Order, Centre for International Governance Innovation, CIGI, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, 25 October 2008.
‘The AK Means Power and Life: Demilitarizing Militias in the Kivus, eastern DR Congo’, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Oslo, Norway, 15 February 2008.
‘Seizing Common Ground: Engaging with International Relations Theory and African Area Studies (preparation for submission to International Studies Quarterly)
‘Understanding Sub-National Fragility’ (preparation for submission to Journal of Peace Research)
‘Victims’ Right: The Role of the ICC in Restorative Justice’ (preparation for submission to Conflict, Security and Development)
I specialize in the areas of International Security, Peace and Conflict Studies, foreign policy analysis, fragility, conflict and security, climate change and violence, and the Global South with a focus on Africa, Middle East and South Asia.
My most recent publication is the co-authored book, Militias and the Challenges of Post-Conflict Peace: Silencing the Guns. I am currently working on a book entitled Fragility in the Global South: Bridging Gaps in Theory, Practice and Policy; and an edited volume, Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press).
I have extensive research experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Jordan, Egypt, Myanmar, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, and international development work experience in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
I have previously taught at various universities in Canada and around the world, including at the LSE, London Metropolitan University, American University in Cairo, McMaster University, Concordia University, York University and St. Francis Xavier University.
I will be teaching the following courses:
- POLS 2940 (Introduction to International Politics)
- POLS 4262 (Gun Politics)
- POLS 6220 (Contemporary Security Studies; graduate level)
Degrees
PhD International Relations, London School of EconomicsMSc International Relations, London School of Economics
BA Political Science, University of Toronto
Research Interests
All Publications
‘Peacebuilding in Myanmar: Moving Beyond Ceasefires?’, co-authored with M. Arnold, in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives, Monika Thakur, ed., (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press; manuscript under review)
‘Peacebuilding: A Conceptual Framework’, in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives, Monika Thakur, ed., (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press; manuscript under review)
‘Transitional Justice in Chad’, in the Encyclopedia of Transitional Justice, Lavinia Stan and Nadya Nedelsky, eds., Cambridge University Press (forthcoming 2019)
Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Global Perspectives, edited volume – single Editor and Contributor (under contract with McGill-Queen’s University Press; manuscript under review).
Militias and the Challenges of Post-Conflict Peace: Silencing the Guns (co-authored with C. Alden, M. Arnold), 2011, Zed Books/Palgrave
Fragility in the Global South : Bridging Gaps in Theory, Practice and Policy, single-author book (manuscript to be prepared)
‘China’s Role in Somalia’, edited volume, Globalising Somalia: Multilateral, International 2. ‘Somalia-China Relations: China Claiming its Place as a Global Actor?’, in Emma Leonard and Gilbert Ramsay (eds.), Globalizing Somalia: Multilateral, International, and Transnational Repercussions of Conflict (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013).
‘Fragile States: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice’, Global Policy, 3, 3, September 2012.
‘Militias: A Conceptual Framework’ (with C. Alden, M. Arnold), Strategic Review for Southern Africa, XXXIII, 1, May 2011.
‘Building on Progress? Chinese Engagement in Ethiopia’ (SAIIA Occasional Paper No. 38, July 2009).
‘Demilitarizing Militias in the Kivus, eastern DR Congo’, African Security Review, 17, 1, 2008.
Review of Thomas Callagy, Ronald Kassimir and Robert Latham (Editors), Intervention and Transnationalism in Africa: Global and Local Networks of Power (2001); Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 32, 1, 2003
Review of John F. Clark (Editor), The African Stakes of the Congo War (2002); Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 32, 3, 2003
‘Rise of Violent Extremist in the Global South’ (presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, April 2018, San Francisco, USA)
‘Women in Terrorist Organization: The Case of Boko Haram’ (presented at theInternational Studies Association Annual Conference, April 2018, San Francisco, USA)
‘The Role of the ICC in Transitional Justice in ‘Post-Conflict’ States’ (presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2014, Toronto, Canada)
‘Conceptualising African Foreign Policy: A Comparative Perspective’, presented at International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2011, Montreal, Canada.
‘Africa Does Matter! A Dialectic between African Area Studies and International Relations Theory’, presented at the Canadian Association of African Studies Annual Conference, May 2010, Ottawa, Canada.
‘One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? China’s Engagement in Africa’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, February 2009, New York City, USA.
‘The Impact of China’s Role in Africa’, presented at the Canadian Political Science Association Annual Conference, May 2009, Ottawa, Canada.
‘Elusive Peace in the DR Congo: Armed Groups and Militias in the Kivus and Ituri’ (also Co-Chair of Panel, ‘Conceptualizing Armed Groups and Militias in ‘Post-Conflict’ Environments’), presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2008, San Francisco, USA.
‘The Discursive Use of Magic, the Occult and Witchcraft in Contemporary Warfare in Africa’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2007, Chicago, USA.
‘The Trigger of Africa: War and Elusive Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2007, Chicago, USA.
‘God’s Warriors and Lucifer’s Army: A Comparative Analysis of ‘Terrorist Organizations’ and African Militias’, with R. Singh (also Co-Chair of Panel, ‘Playing by their Own Rules: Delinquent Non-State Actors’), presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2006, San Diego, USA.
‘Seizing Common Ground: Engaging IR Theory and African Area Studies’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2006, San Diego, USA.
‘The International Dimensions of the Conflict in the DR Congo’, presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, March 2005, Honolulu, USA.
‘The Role of African Actors and MONUC in the DR Congo Conflict’, presented at the London School of Economics Africa Forum, Panel on ‘The Role of European and African Actors in the DR Congo’, February 2005, London School of Economics, UK.
‘The Greed-Grievances Nexus: Understanding Uganda’s Intervention in the DR Congo’, presented at the British International Studies Association Annual Conference, December 2004, University of Warwick, UK.
‘Ugandan Foreign Policy in the Great Lakes Region of Africa’, presented at the ‘Politics of the Great Lakes of Africa’ Panel (also served as Chair of the Panel), African Studies Association/Canadian Association of African Studies Annual Conference, November 2004, New Orleans, USA.
‘China’s Engagement with the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti’, China’s Engagement with Africa, organised by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the U.S. Department of State, and the National Intelligence Council, Meridian House, Washington, D.C., 28 July 2010.
‘China’s Role in the Horn of Africa and North-East Africa: Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Egypt’, Conference on International Governance Innovation: China in the Shifting World Order, Centre for International Governance Innovation, CIGI, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, 25 October 2008.
‘The AK Means Power and Life: Demilitarizing Militias in the Kivus, eastern DR Congo’, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Oslo, Norway, 15 February 2008.
‘Seizing Common Ground: Engaging with International Relations Theory and African Area Studies (preparation for submission to International Studies Quarterly)
‘Understanding Sub-National Fragility’ (preparation for submission to Journal of Peace Research)
‘Victims’ Right: The Role of the ICC in Restorative Justice’ (preparation for submission to Conflict, Security and Development)
