Reintegrating Former Members of Nonstate Armed Groups: State of Evidence and Design Recommendations

Reintegrating Former Members of Nonstate Armed Groups: State of Evidence and Design Recommendations

Sub Editor

This evidence review examines the current state of research on reintegrating former members of non-state armed groups (NSAGs) into civilian society. Drawing primarily from experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluations, it looks at the evidence on economic reintegration programs, reconciliation initiatives, and psychotherapy interventions. The review finds that the overall evidence base remains limited and highly context-specific. Key evidence gaps include understanding which program components drive sustained change, determining cost-effectiveness of different approaches, and evaluating long-term impacts across various conflict settings. The review identifies critical questions for future research and offers design recommendations to strengthen both the evidence base and program implementation, while emphasizing the need for interventions tailored to local conditions that address both socioeconomic and psychological dimensions of reintegration.