Abstract
We examine the role of FM radio in mitigating violent conflict. We collect original data on radio broadcasts encouraging defections during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency. This constitutes the first quantitative evaluation of an active counterinsurgency policy that encourages defections through radio messages. Exploiting random topography- driven variation in radio coverage along with panel variation at the grid-cell level we identify the causal effect of messaging on violence. Broadcasting defection messages increases defections and reduces fatalities, violence against civilians, and clashes with security forces. Income shocks have opposing effects on both the conflict and the effectiveness of messaging.
Paper is available here
Read the testimonial of the amazing experience of Rita Moreira, who participated in a Nova SBE NOVAFRICA Knowledge Center's summer internship in Guinea-Bissau.
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Pedro Vicente spoke to Geração Digital (RTP Africa) about the impact study of ProFuturo, a program for introducing technology in a school environment, carried out by Nova SBE NOVAFRICA Knowledge Center in about 40 Catholic schools in the city of Luanda, Angola. The work showed that where ProFuturo introduced technology, there were improvements in children's performance, teachers were more motivated, and there was more interaction in the classroom.
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This project evaluate the impact of smallholder farmers’ own experimentation with new agricultural technologies on adoption of these same technologies.
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