The Elliott School Book Launch Series welcomes you to our first book launch of the year, featuring Dr. Lewis and her latest book, How Insurgency Begins: Rebel Group Formation in Uganda and Beyond. The talk will be followed by a moderated live Q&A with the audience.
Published by Cambridge University Press, How Insurgency Begins examines how rebel groups form, and why only certain groups become powerful enough to challenge central governments. With an in-depth analysis of conflicts in Uganda and its neighboring states, Dr. Lewis delves into the relationships between rural networks, ethnic demographies, and the influence of rumor on local perception. This book will be of interest to scholars and policymakers, those who witness the process in their community, and who try to stop it. The talk is co-sponsored by the Institute for African Studies and the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs.
About the Author
Dr. Janet I. Lewis is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. She was previously an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Her award-winning articles have been published in the American Journal of Political Science, the American Political Science Review, and Comparative Political Studies among many others. She is currently studying rumor networks, intergroup prejudice, and conflicts in Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University.
About the Moderators
Dr. Jennifer Cooke is an Associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and Director of the Institute of African Studies at the Elliott School. She had previously served for eighteen years as the Director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and as an election observer in multiple countries on the African continent. Dr. Cooke holds an MA in African Studies and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Dr. Alexander Downes is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at the Elliott School. He has previously taught as an Assistant Professor at Duke University. He has published extensively and held multiple fellowships on topics such as civilian victimization, foreign-imposed regime change, and solutions to civil wars. Dr. Downes holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago.
This event is free, on the record, and open to the public. Media inquiries must be sent in advance to esiaresearch@email.gwu.edu.
