Addressing terrorism

The recent “Holder vs. Humanitarian Law Project” U.S. Supreme Court decision of June 21, 2010 has sharpened the debate about engagement with blacklisted groups and has directly impacted the wider communities where designated foreign terrorist groups operate. Anti-terror legislation has consequences and relevance for peacebuilding organizations whose engagement with these local communities and mid-level leaders creates ambiguous but potentially significant legal ramifications under the recent Supreme Court decision. As a practitioner- scholar I have been struck by the lack of basic discussion on the assumptions and theories undergirding the “listings” policy and dearth of evidence-based research testing the theories around these pressing issues. An explicit clarification of the theories of change that purports to address violent conflict and terrorism is needed. To elucidate a theory of change is not an abstract endeavor. It requires commitment to specify assumptions and demonstrate how a particular activity and approach functions and unfolds toward desired outcomes…