The Pacifying Role of Education: The Case of Radio Sutatenza

• In Event: Public Goods Provision during War: Evidence from the Colombian Case

Abstract

Between 1947 and 1994, Radio Sutatenza influenced the lives of millions of Colombians through its broadcasted lessons and Escuelas Radiofónicas. In this paper, we explore the effects of these radio schools on violence and civil war onset. The context in which the education program was created and its later phase of expansion offers a unique opportunity to study whether education is a force with the potential to break violence cycles. We estimate the effect of Escuelas Radiofónicas on the incidence of violence at the municipal level using two different identification strategies, a difference in differences design and an instrumental variables approach. We find robust evidence for the pacifying effect of education. Specifically, municipalities with radio schools experienced lower violence levels in the 1960s and, later, in the 1970s. We complement this analysis, with three case studies of Colombian municipalities.

Authors

• Laura Garcia Montoya, Princeton University

• Natalia Garbiras-Díaz, European University Institute