Civilian Protection by Direct Combatant Interventions: What works and What Doesn’t? A Field Experiment Leveraging Combatant Incentives Through IHL Training And Combatant Empathy Through Perspective Taking.

Does training in IHL among combatants protect civilians? Is its effect amplified by a values-based intervention? Can perspective-taking, designed to promote empathy, reduce civilian abuse? IHL/value-based interventions and perspec-
tive taking program participation were administered at the combatant level in 2022 among 213 new combatants. Seven months into the weekly perspective taking program and after the IHL/Value-based trainings, participants in perspective taking are three times more likely to exit the militia, statistically significant. IHL/value-based training were provided as booster (and learning confirmed) and perspective taking program extended through 1.5 years. To document the effect of 1.5 years of perspective taking program as well as of IHL/value-based training booster provided at midline, the project will collect endline 2 years after integration among combatants, but also among those that exited (and understand why they left); provide boosters of IHL/value-based training and extend the scope of the perspective-taking program (in time and sample); collect a second endline among combatants and leavers 2 years after. A nationwide reputed research organization (Marakuja) will administer the project, sub-contracting to a local reputed youth organization to interact with combatants, which the combatants and civilians know and trust. The militia (NDC-R) authorized the study and accepted to remain uninvolved. This will generate knowledge of interest to humanitarian organizations working with warrying parties, such as ICRC and Geneva Call, providing a first test of classic interventions and proposed new ones. It will help learn about the determinants of violence and help protect the most vulnerable populations, civilians in conflict.