I am a political scientist with research specialising in multi-lateral policy negotiations, security, and peace-building in post-conflict states and stabilising democracies. My personal passion covers the politics of labour migrants and asylum seekers from Central America and elsewhere. Life after a PhD was always going to be interesting. Now I work with IHS Market as a Country Risk Analyst on the Latin America Desk whilst pursuing further research on peace-keeping and peacebuilding possibilities in the Canadian context. Understanding how different sectors and different levels of governance work and interact has been my primary focus in both my research and professional career.

I successfully defended my PhD thesis in Politics at the University of Glasgow in March 2016 with the title ‘Contested concepts and practices in security governance: Evolving security approaches in El Salvador’ (available here, released April 2017)

Publications

2017

• El Salvador’s government to prioritise congressional approval of 2018 budget and tax reforms following pension reform approval, IHS Markit Country Risk Headline Analysis
• Success of Honduran government’s security strategy dependent on implementation of Private Security Law and adequate budgetary provisions, IHS Jane’s Intelligence Weekly
• One Large Step: The journey to recovery through the Invictus Games in Toronto, Esprit de Corps (vol. 24, no. 8)
• Invictus Games: New beginnings for the 90 Team Canada members competing in Toronto, Esprit de Corps (vol. 24, no.7)
• Increasing probability of government change in Guatemala as rumours mount over proposed removal of UN anti-corruption commissioner, IHS Jane’s Country Risk Daily Report
• Political divisions over budgetary policy direction in El Salvador’s Congress heighten fiscal issues and risk pension non-payments, IHS Markit Country Risk Headline Analysis
• El Salvador: Shifting gang security panorama, Special research report, IHS Markit
• Central America: A fragile balance (link), Global Trade Review
• Episode 11 – Kari Mariska Pries (link), Invictus Games

2016

• Standing Together: Families behind service and through rehabilitation (link), Esprit de Corps
• Pushing the Boundaries: Supporting soldiers in recovery (link), Esprit de Corps
• Armed conflict between Guatemala and Belize unlikely despite military build-up and increased border incidents (link), IHS Jane’s Intelligence Weekly

2015

• Challenges in Innovative Peacebuilding: Spaces of Change in the Salvadoran Gang Truce, In Peace Studies between Tradition and Innovation (PJSA): Cambridge Scholars Publishing

2014

• Opening Old Wounds: Political Violence Threatens to Return to Nicaragua, IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review: Vol. 26, No. 9 pp. 40-43

2013

• EL Salvador: One year gang truce (link), Latin America Bureau (LAB)

2012

• The SICA Security Strategy in International Context: The importance of national influences and regional development dynamics for donor countries, UK Embassy, San Salvador, El Salvador
• Contributions to: Flujos Migratorios Laborales Interregionales: situación actual, retos y oportunidades en Centroamérica y República Dominicana. Informe de El Salvador (link), San José, CR: OIM, OIT, CECC SICA, Red de Observatorios del Mercado Laboral

2010

• Contributions to: Políticas Públicas sobre Migración Laboral: Herramientas y buenas practicas (link), Coyoacán, Mx: Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM)

Contact

Email: kari.mariska.pries[at]gmail.com