Episode 20: Countering violence in cities: human-centric security and bringing the state back in

Antônio Sampaio, Research Associate for Conflict, Security and Development, joins Dr Kori Schake for this episode of Sounds Strategic.How to provide robust security in rapidly growing cities has been a persistent challenge for policymakers, especially as more people are expected to move into cities throughout the 21st century. In this episode, Antônio explores the case of Rio de Janeiro, a city that has experienced extreme violence for decades as a result of state neglect and gang activity. Although Rio remains one of the most violent cities in the world, Antônio details some of the successful policies that have brought back a degree of stability and state control in the favelas, unofficial suburbs that have been the traditional heartland of Brazilian gangs.Most importantly, the policy successes and failures that Antônio highlights in his research in Rio have important lessons and applications for urban security in other cities around the world, from countering cartels in Mexico to reintroducing state control in the re-claimed city of Mosul in Iraq.For Antônio, developing effective human-centric approaches to urban security is vital and should be considered of equal importance to wider national-level security sector reform and development efforts before, during and after conflict. Counter to many policymakers’ concerns, Antônio does not believe rapid urbanisation inherently leads to greater violence in cities. He warns that this belief is used to justify military-centric policy that increases police lethality but overlooks local political dynamics within cities. Reading recommendations:Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime and The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Illicit Order: The Militarised Logic of Organised Crime and Urban Security in Rio de Janeiro, (September 2019)David Kilcullen, Out of the Mountains: The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla, (London: C. Hurst & Co., 2013)Benjamin R. Barber, If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities, (London: Yale University Press, 2014)Antonio Sampaio, ‘Before and after urban warfare: Conflict prevention and transitions in cities’, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 98, No. 1, April 2016, pp. 71-95Favourite data visualisation:The Atlas of Urban Expansion, UN HabitatKarachi, The Atlas of Urban Expansion, UN HabitatDate of recording: 6 September 2019Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in LondonTheme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks

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