Fueling the Fires: How Corruption and Conflict Keep Each Other Burning

“Is it possible to foster accountability and disrupt illicit economies without fueling violence?”

On February 18, researchers Diana Chigas and Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church of Besa Global led the latest installment of the Knowledge Against Violence speaker series, in which they broke down the complex interdependence between corruption and conflict and explained how corruption can become an entrenched feature of political economies and a major obstacle to building a lasting peace once war ends.

The talk was based on their HFG Research and Policy in Brief report, Fueling the Fires: How Corruption and Conflict Keep Each Other Burning, which examines the “vicious cycle” of conflict and corruption, using examples from Afghanistan, Guatemala, South Sudan, Myanmar, and beyond.

HFG Director of Research Joel Wallman moderated the discussion. To watch a recording of the talk, visit the link below:

Speakers

Diana Chigas is codirector of the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Program at Besa Global and professor of the practice of international negotiation and conflict resolution at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. Her current research focuses on how social, gender, and faith norms influence corruption and anticorruption in conflict- affected settings. She has worked with governmental, nongovernmental, and intergovernmental partners across Africa, Europe, and the US to support corruption analysis and program design.

Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church is executive director of Besa Global and codirector of the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Program. A practitioner-scholar with extensive experience in peacebuilding, governance, and anticorruption, she has worked across the Balkans, West Africa, and East Africa, pioneering the application of systems thinking to corruption analysis and the role of social norms in driving corruption.