Conflict, Combatants, and Cash: Economic Reintegration and Livelihoods of Ex-combatants in Nepal

In post-conflict peacebuilding, the significance of reintegration programs for ex-combatants and the manner of how their success or failure ameliorates or deteriorates conditions for peace is now less debatable. However, there is little theoretical or empirical documentation regarding the such critical questions as: Can a cash-based approach reintegrate ex-combatants? What formal or informal mechanisms do ex-combatants engage in to earn a living in a post-conflict society? How can we understand and assess economic reintegration of ex-combatants in a situation where a cash-based scheme substitutes for reintegration programs? Using a case study of the Maoist ex-combatants from Nepal, this paper addresses these questions.