Lilian Bobea

Background

About Lilian Bobea

As a sociologist (2011 Ph.D, Utrecht University, Netherlands), my dissertation examined criminal violence and public policy in the Dominican Republic. My life experiences reflect my interest in the constructive tension between academic research and the creation of sustainable public policies. Doing an M.A. in Global Studies at Binghamton University, under the conduction of Immanuel Wallerstein, greatly broadened my understanding of the world. On my return to Santo Domingo, I began to research the issues of crime, citizen security, and police reform as a professor of international relations at FLACSO, the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. I have written extensively (in Spanish and English) on citizen security, governance and democracy. In I joined a group of international scholars on an innovative project, Creating Community, which sought to redefine security in terms that go beyond state-focused approaches to include economic justice, gender, migration, non-state actors, and transnational networks. Its ultimate goal was to empower civilians in security matters that have long been state monopolies; its work has influenced policy in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador. In 2005, I worked with Dominican President Fernandez and his officials to develop the Democratic Security Plan, a public security policy to combat crime and reduce violence within a democratic framework. Through my work, publications, and participation in conferences, I have a wide network of contacts in the Caribbean and beyond. My proposed comparative study of two Hispanic Caribbean countries reinforces my long-term goal of balancing research with a holistic approach to public policy Specialties: Social science analyst, writing grand proposals, teaching sociology courses, developing and coordinating research on social issues, hemispheric, regional security and citizen security, violence issues.