Dave McRae has researched conflict, politics, democratisation and human rights issues in Indonesia for over a decade. He wrote his Ph.D. at the Australian National University on post-authoritarian inter-religious violence in Indonesia, explaining why civil war intensity violence could suddenly occur in a previously quiescent region. As Lead Researcher for the World Bank’s Conflict and Development Team in Indonesia between 2008 and 2010 he led a research program on interventions to prevent conflict and address its impacts. Prior to this, he worked for the Jakarta office of the International Crisis Group between 2004 and 2006, researching and writing reports on most of Indonesia’s major conflict areas.

Dave holds a Bachelor of Asian Studies (Specialist-Indonesian) degree with honours and university medal from the Australian National University, as well as a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Studies. He speaks fluent Indonesian.

His book, A Few Poorly Organised Men: Interreligious Violence in Poso, Indonesia will be published by Brill in mid 2013.