Investigates how and why armed organisations transform into unarmed activist movements Analyses 20 case studies of transformation from 16 countries: Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, Libya, Syria, Spain, the UK, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, El Salvador and Nicaragua Offers a rare cross-regional, qualitative comparative approach utilising personal interviews with the representatives of organisations inspired by religious-based, leftist, ethno-nationalist and nationalist ideologies Includes first-hand de-radicalisation leader testimonies Contributes to our understanding of democratic transition, ending civil wars, peacebuilding, countering violent extremism, counterinsurgency and counterterrorism De-radicalisation is a global phenomenon where armed organisations transform into political parties or non-violent social movements. Bullets to Ballots explores the different trajectories that this process can take whether it occurs after a military victory, a military defeat, or a draw in an armed conflict between insurgent groups and incumbent authorities. A result of a unique collaboration between leading scholars, high-level governmental practitioners and non-state organisational leaders, this volume offers a rich comparative analysis of de-radicalisation processes from around the world. It answers the questions of when, why and how collective de-radicalisation happens, and it deepens our understanding of this as a means of preventing violent extremism.

About the Author
Omar Ashour is a Professor of Security and Military Studies and the Founding Chair of the Critical Security Studies Programme at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. He is the author of How ISIS Fights: Military Tactics in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt (Edinburgh University Press, 2021) and The De-Radicalization of Jihadists: Transforming Armed Islamist Movements (Routledge, 2009), as well as the editor of Bullets to Ballots: Collective De-Radicalisation of Armed Movements (Edinburgh University Press, 2021).

Reviews
"An exceptionally insightful, valuable, and timely book. By comparing rebel demobilization across time, regions, and ideologies, Omar Ashour's star team of contributors have produced not just a work of reference but something as rare as an academic page-turner." -Professor Thomas Hegghammer, Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and the author of The Caravan: Abdullah Azzam and Rise of Global Jihad



Book Information
ISBN 9781474467124
Author Omar Ashour
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press