Stephany Mercedes Vargas-Rojas

I am a lecturer and researcher at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali, Colombia -Department of Law and Politics. I hold a BA in Political Science from the Colegio Mayor Universidad del Rosario and a MA from the Universidad del Valle, Colombia. Before starting my career as a lecturer, I worked as a researcher at the Institute for Peace Promotion and Violence Prevention (CISALVA-Universidad del Valle) in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank. I have also worked as a consultant at the World Bank, assisting youth violence prevention projects and setting up communities of practice (CoP) in LAC. Currently, my research interest includes the politics of reparation for ethnic groups, urban governance of forced migration, resettlement and housing. 

Governing forced migration in Colombia's peace transition

While studies on forced migration and housing highlight the difficulties for forced migrants in accessing permanent housing worldwide, Colombia provides a noteworthy case for studying permanent housing provision to IDPs. This PhD project examines Colombia’s recent efforts to govern internal armed conflict-induced displacement through urban resettlement in massive state-led housing projects. I will examine housing use within urban resettlement policies aimed at IDPs in Cali during the country’s peace transition (2012-2023). The research uses a case study design in Cali, where predominantly Afro-Colombian groups were resettled in the Llano Verde-Territorio de Paz housing estate in 2013. 

While the project will concentrate on Colombia, it will have broader implications for other countries facing the challenge of addressing the needs of mass migration/movements caused by conflict.

Supervisors: Melanie Lombard and Matthew Bishop.