Our history
ORIGINS
In 2010, our founder worked in an informal Colombian settlement housing conflict victims and former combatants, while also engaging with NGOs, religious groups,
and international organizations designing interventions for these communities.
From this experience emerged the core idea underlying the Corioli Institute until today.
A few years later, our founder was awarded a £1.2 million UK Research and Innovation project grant titled "Trust After Betrayal: Global Development Interventions in the Shadow of Organized Violence (TAB)," hosted at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). This initiative established the foundation for Corioli's Research and Action methodology, enabling us to expand our networks and pioneer participative, mixed-methods research methodologies that leverage anthropological sensitivities to maximize both a program's insights and impact.
TAB developed programs alongside communities, generated original research, and organized events that bridged gaps between academia, policy, and practice—always guided by a perspective on the role of trust in (re)building social bonds fractured and tested by the lingering experience of violence. TAB's comparative approach, starting in Latin America and soon reaching across the globe, coined our "formerly armed actor" framework, which captures reintegration experiences across distinct settings to facilitate a rich institutional learning ecosystem. As the project progressed, we formulated a vision to sustain TAB's legacy beyond its funding period, refining our values and mission throughout this journey. ​ This mission is most poignantly captured in our three-part motto: Research, Reintegrate, Rebuild.
THE BRAND
STORY
The name Corioli Institute is derived from Shakespeare’s tragedy Coriolanus, a play that explores themes of violence, betrayal, and exile—central concerns for the reintegration of formerly armed actors and the broader implications of conflict resolution.
​In the play, Coriolanus earns his name after his victory at the city of Corioli, yet despite his military success, he is ultimately exiled from Rome due to political betrayal and his inability to navigate civilian governance. His journey—from warrior to outcast, and ultimately to a tragic figure caught between loyalty and vengeance—resonates deeply with the challenges of reintegration and social cohesion after violence.
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The wolf as a symbol draws from Roman military tradition, where it adorned the chest plates of generals, representing both ferocity in battle and the weight of leadership. This imagery aligns with the Institute’s focus on those who have navigated the liminal spaces between armed groups, state security forces, and civilian society.
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The green wolf ears in the Institute’s symbolism represent resilience and renewal. While the wolf signifies both the predatory and protective aspects of conflict, the green ears suggest the possibility of growth, healing, and transformation—echoing the Institute’s commitment to building sustainable pathways out of violence.
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This naming and symbolism reflect the Corioli Institute’s core mission: confronting the legacies of armed conflict, addressing the tensions between warriors and societies, and fostering reintegration and reconciliation for individuals and communities shaped by violence.
VALUES
Transformative Leadership
We model new standards for leading knowledge production and change in our field. Our own organizational structure—woman-owned, majority-minority, and veteran-led—exemplifies this transformation. Through continuous learning and reflective practice, we develop and share innovative methodological approaches that challenge traditional research and action paradigms. We invest in developing emerging scholars and practitioners from conflict-affected communities, creating pathways for new voices to shape the field.
Evidence-Based Innovation
Through collaborative data collection and rigorous research, we develop solutions that work in real contexts and create lasting change. Our methodologies, from ethnographic walks to participant-led conferences, demonstrate how radical participation transforms academic research into meaningful action. We hold ourselves accountable through transparent methods, open data practices, and continuous dialogue with communities and peers.
Power in
Partnership
We restructure our research and action through deep community partnership, exemplified by our practice of recruiting formerly armed actors as researchers and analysts. Local knowledge and lived experience determine our priorities, shape our methods, and define our success metrics. We invest direct resources in community research capacity and vocational capabilities and work to transfer funding control to local organizations.
Critical
Ethical Practice
We actively examine and challenge established approaches to ensure they serve those most affected by violence. Our ethical framework goes beyond avoiding harm to actively building new modes of engagement that prioritize dignity, justice, and local agency.
Grounded
Empathy
Everyone has a story, and that story holds expertise. Throughout our research and practice, we begin with lived experience and deep listening to understand the full complexity of conflict and violence. This empathy extends to all actors—including those who have caused harm—building understanding that honors local knowledge and leadership.