On 20 September, Ebba Tellander successfully defended her PhD thesis investigating the use of political space to protest in countries with violent or repressive regimes.
The starting point for her thesis, 'The wind that blows before the rain: Resistance against oppression in northern Somalia in the 1980s', is northern Somalia in 1982 when school students and local residents protested against the arrest of professionals who had come together to restore a hospital and volunteer in schools.
She addressed the research puzzles of why and how early risers, who face the biggest risks, initiate collective action and resistance at, as well as the related puzzle of why state repression at times encourages increased resistance, rather than discouraging it.
Rewatch Ebba's defence introduction
Photos of the defence
Read the thesis
Ebba's full thesis will shortly be available for download from the ISS Library.
In the meantime you can download his thesis abstracts.