Brian McQuinn is a DPhil candidate and researcher at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Anthropology and Mind. His research advances the anthropology of contemporary armed conflict by studying the social practices and organizational structures of non-state armed groups in civil wars. Of particular interest is the relationship between organizational rituals, social morphology, and group cohesion. Prior to returning to academics, Brian worked for 14 years as a dialogue specialist and conflict resolution trainer in more than 20 conflict-affected or post-conflict countries, including Bosnia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Nepal. He has worked for the United Nations, The Carter Center, and various other international organizations. His published works include "Ritual and Violence: Divergent modes of religiosity and armed struggle," in Oxford Handbook on Religion and Violence (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011) with Whitehouse and Harvey; Impact Assessment of Youth Peacebuilding and Employment Programmes in Sierra Leone (Freetown: United Nations Development Programme); and "Rebel Groups as Predatory Organizations: The Political Effects of the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia and Sri Lanka" in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, 53 (4), 624-45 (2009) with Beardsley and Kyle. Website: http://www.cam.ox.ac.uk/students/brian-mcquinn/