Genevieve Kotarska

Genevieve is an Associate Fellow in the Organised Crime and Policing team at RUSI, a PhD Candidate in Security, Conflict and Human Rights at the University of Bristol and an independent consultant. Her research focuses on political and criminal non-state armed groups, how communities navigate the relationship with armed groups, the crime-conflict nexus and organised crime with a focus on drug trafficking. She has regional expertise in West Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean./p>

Genevieve was previously a Research Fellow at RUSI, as well as a Research Assistant at the University of Birmingham investigating factors that impact the success of intrastate peace agreements. Before this she held various roles in the UK Civil Service, including in the Ministry of Defence and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, working on diverse issues including countering disinformation and the UK’s Covid-19 response.

She holds an MSc (Distinction) in the Political Psychology of International Relations from the University of Birmingham where her dissertation focused on political violence in Colombia after the 2016 peace agreement. She also has a BA (Hons) in International Relations and Ethics from the University of Exeter. She speaks advanced Spanish and is also an international responder for a disaster response charity.

'My Enemy’s Enemy is my Friend: Polarisation, Stigmatisation, and Political Violence in Colombia', Genevieve Kotarska, SHOC, 26 May 2022

'Cultural Reforms for Peace: The Crucial Role of Accommodating Diversity', By Dr Giuditta Fontana (University of Birmingham), Dr Ilaria Masiero (University of Geneva), Genevieve Kotarska (Royal United Services Institute) - Birmingham Business School Blog, 20 May 2022

'A New Era in the War on Drugs? Between the Lines of the US-Colombia Bicentennial Partnership', Genevieve Kotarska, SHOC, 18 March 2022