NPSIA is pleased to announce that Dr. Alex Wilner and PhD student Jessica Davis have been awarded a TSAS Small research Project grant for the project “Kidnapping for Ransom: International Lessons for Canada.” The project seeks to answer the question: “What is Canada’s kidnapping for ransom (KFR) policy, and what impact does that have on outcomes for Canadians kidnapped by terrorist groups?”
Using a combination of case studies and a theoretical framework (deterrence theory), this research will look at KFR as an important aspect of terrorist financing and will examine international security responses to KFR. It will seek to explore alternative state-based approaches to paying ransoms for kidnap and use deterrence theory to better understand and identify potential policy and security responses to minimize funding to terrorists and threats to Canadians. This research will also seek to identify lessons that Canada can learn from the way other countries address KFR.