Monika Onken

Monika Onken is a Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies (GIGA), a PhD Candidate at Freie Universität Berlin, and a Lecturer at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on conflict dynamics, democratization processes, and civil society resilience. She is affiliated with the GIGA’s Accountability and Participation Research Programme and contributes to the Context Matters project analyzing politico-economic trends in the Global South.

Her education includes doctoral studies at Freie Universität Berlin on Violent Tactics in Otherwise Nonviolent Campaigns. Key publications include analyses of pandemic-era civic space erosion and global democratization challenges. She has organized workshops on re-democratisation at events like the ECPR Joint Sessions and collaborated with institutions like IDOS on democratic resilience studies.

Monika’s work bridges academic research and policy advice, addressing topics such as civil society activism, conflict potentials, and global governance. She is part of interdisciplinary teams examining autocratization trends and participatory mechanisms in Latin America and beyond.