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The most violent places in the world today are not at war. Mexico had more violent deaths from 2007 to 2014 than Iraq and Afghanistan combined. In 2015, more Brazilian civilians died violently than Syrians. The devastating violence engulfing places buckling under gangs, drug cartels, and organized crime can seem hopeless. Yet some places—from Colombia to the Republic of Georgia—have been able to recover. In a discussion moderated by David Sanger, Rachel Kleinfeld will present findings that overturn much common wisdom about war, crime, and foreign intervention—and offer a blueprint for what can help.

Rachel Kleinfeld’s new book, A Savage Order: How the World’s Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security, examines why some democracies—including the United States—face pockets of crippling bloodshed, and how they can regain security. Drawing on years of firsthand field research interviewing rebels, generals, activists, and politicians, Kleinfeld tells the stories of societies that successfully fought seemingly ingrained violence. Copies of her book will be available for purchase.

Rachel Kleinfeld

Rachel Kleinfeld is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she focuses on issues of rule of law, security, and governance in post-conflict countries, fragile states, and states in transition.

David Sanger

David Sanger is a national security correspondent and a senior writer for the New York Times. He has been on three teams that have won Pulitzer Prizes, most recently in 2017 for international reporting.