1. www.cerac.org.co

2. CERAC’s Team Research Associates Researchers Support Staff

3. CERAC Research lines Our current research topics are: Economic Analysis of Conflict and Violence Human Security Urban Security Conflict Measurement Demographic Impact of Violence and Conflict in Colombia

4. Conflict in Colombia Left-wing guerrillas – FARC (big) and ELN (small), illegal right-wing paramilitaries and government forces. Has been going on for a long time, possibly four decades depending on how you count. Low intensity – roughly 2,000 deaths per year over the last 16 years. Is linked with mass criminality, including drug dealing (coca and heroin), kidnapping, extortion, land and cattle theft, etc.

5. Methodology Periodicals from a local NGO, Justicia y Paz, lists events compiled from primary sources and from local and national press reports. We begin with these reports to create an event- based dataset. We include only clear conflict events, requiring each event to have a military effect and to reflect a group action.

6. Methodology The team investigates all big events plus a large random sample of smaller events. CERAC also has event lists from numerous other sources which we are gradually integrating. Presently we are integrating very comprehensive media coverage, even radio, going back to 2001. We hope that this will eventually allow us to update the data on a daily basis.

7. CERAC Dataset Covers the years 1988 – first half of 2005. Contains more than 21,000 events with a set of characteristics for each one.

8. CERAC Dataset Date. Participants - left-wing guerrillas, government forces and right-wing paramilitaries. Type of event – clash vs. attack with attacks divided into more than 40 categories.

9. CERAC Dataset Important attack types include massacres, bombings, attacks on economic infrastructure, incursions and aerial bombardments. Location – departments (states or counties), municipalities and points for many events. Casualties – killings and injuries of guerrillas, government forces, paramilitaries and civilians.

12. SARAC SARAC is an information system for analysis and registration of conflict actions. Developed at CERAC. Is in the implementation phase for Colombia and Perú.