GSDRC newsfeed on Fragile states

Society in State-building: Lessons in Improving Democratic Governance - Synthesis Report

Edward Bell — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What is the best way to promote democratic governance in fragile and conflict-affected countries? By directing attention to interactions between state and society, this Initiative for Peacebuilding report aims to help external agencies and conflict-affected societies generate a culture of democratic politics. Drawing on analyses of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia and Pakistan, the paper recommends using the potential that is inherent in all development assistance to improve governance. This includes using the processes for defining development strategies to widen and deepen ownership by society as a whole.

The Legitimacy of the State in Fragile Situations

S. Bellina, D. Darbon, S. S. Eriksen and O. J. Sending — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is the nature of state legitimacy in fragile situations? How can legitimacy be fostered in such situations? This report was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. It suggests that legitimacy concerns the very basis for how state and society are linked and by which the state�s authority is justified. Interventions in fragile situations must therefore focus on relations between state and society and must be adapted to context. Neither the same type of legitimacy nor the same type of (end-) state can be established everywhere.

Effective poverty reduction strategies in fragile and conflict-affected countries: lessons and suggestions

Vincent Fruchart, Per Egil Wam, William Webster — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) in fragile and conflict-affected countries be made effective? How can the World Bank and other international bodies assist this process? This World Bank paper argues that well-designed PRSs offer the best hope for many countries to move from poverty and conflict to development and stability. Outsiders can promote effective PRSs by supporting five guiding principles: promote a conflict perspective, perform relevant analysis, provide policy support, strengthen national capacities and share examples of effective PRSs.

Do No Harm: International Support for Statebuilding

OECD DAC — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can donor interventions hinder or assist statebuilding processes? This report from the OECD's Development Assistance Committee draws on country case-studies to examine five key areas of statebuilding. Donors operating in fragile states need to analyse where their own countries� strategic objectives contradict statebuilding objectives and where statebuilding objectives are themselves at odds. Donors can assist statebuilding by promoting: (1) inclusive political processes; (2) state legitimacy; (3) constructive state-society relations; (4) social expectations that are realistic but push states to do more; and (5) the development of sustainable capacities to carry out state functions.

Armed Violence Reduction: Enabling Development

OECD-DAC — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Integrated, comprehensive and inclusive armed violence reduction (AVR) programmes are an emerging and growing area of development practice around the world. This paper, published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, discusses the components of a multi-level AVR approach. Adopting integrated AVR programmes requires understanding of the multi-faceted, multi-level nature of armed violence, application of rigorous diagnostics of local situations and incorporation of local ownership at all levels of programme design and implementation.

Community-based Approaches to Peacebuilding in Conflict-affected and Fragile Contexts

Huma Haider — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The �community� has often been resilient in conflict-affected and fragile contexts, providing survival and coping mechanisms for violence, insecurity and fragility. Growing attention has thus been paid to the adoption of community-based approaches to help address the extensive needs in these contexts. This paper from the GSDRC explores the principal aims of community-based approaches and key challenges and considerations in designing and implementing such approaches, particularly in environments of conflict and fragility.

Peacekeepers Among Poppies: Afghanistan, Illicit Economies and Intervention

Vanda Felbab-Brown — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What have been the effects of counter-narcotics policies in Afghanistan since 2001? Have eradication campaigns been successful? This article from the Journal of International Peacekeeping argues that aggressive opium poppy eradication programmes have been premature and counterproductive. They have not increased stability or undermined the counter-insurgency. The most important role peacekeeping forces can play is providing security.

The Legacy of Four Vetting Programs: An Empirical Review

Caspar Fithen — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can vetting help to improve institutions undergoing transition? This paper from the International Centre for Transitional Justice reviews evidence from four country case studies, highlighting the important distinctions between post-conflict and post-authoritarian transitions. It argues that while vetting cannot be divorced from its institutional context, proper planning and commitment to long-term reform can override political obstacles.

Peacebuilding and Statebuilding: An Invitation for Reflection - Interpeace's Experiences

Koenraad Van Brabant — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How can international actors accelerate the socio-political processes of state formation in fragile states? This paper from Interpeace examines the experience of the organisation in state-building, focusing on state-society relations as the core concept of state formation. Building democratic culture to support long-term socio-political negotiations is the most effective means of securing peace and building strong states.

Indigenous Institutions, Traditional Leaders and Elite Coalitions for Development: The case of Greater Durban, South Africa

Jo Beall and Mduduzi Ngonyama — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What factors facilitate inclusive political settlements and developmental coalitions within a hybrid political order? This study, produced for the Leadership, Elites and Coalitions Research Programme and also published by the Crisis States Research Centre suggests that in South Africa, state-consolidation and peace-building have been facilitated by: (1) the creation of an administrative machinery that can contain customary authority institutions within a broader polity (2) political structures that channel the ambitions and grievances of traditional leaders and (3) a system of local government that draws on the experience of chieftaincies to bring development to hard-to-reach areas. A key success factor is the commitment to development of influential political leaders able to forge broad coalitions through their links to multiple institutions.

Strong Societies and Weak States: State-Society Relations and State Capabilities in the Third World

Joel S Migdal — Fri, 01 Jan 1988 00:00:00 GMT

Why have some states struggled to fashion state-society relations, neutralise opposition, gain predominance, and achieve social control, whereas others have been strong in this regard? This book presents a model for understanding state capabilities in the Third World based on state-society relations. Its central premises are that: i) the nature of the state cannot be separated from the nature of societies; and ii) the emergence of a strong, capable state can occur only with a tremendous concentration of social control (to the state).

International Compacts: Sovereignty Strategies

Ashraf Ghani, Clare Lockhart — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This chapter from the book 'Fixing Failed States' argues that a stable world requires functioning states in order to overcome challenges to the political and economic system. Domestic and global leadership must find a new approach to transform states so that they provide security and prosperity for their citizens and also act as responsible members of the international community. The study terms this a sovereignty strategy. A long-term state-building strategy tailored to specific contexts should be an organising principle for the international community. Collective energies and capital need to be harnessed.

National Programs: The Challenge of Implementation

Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How do national programmes aid the statebuilding process? This chapter from the book 'Fixing Failed States' assesses the success of national programmes in Europe, the United States and Afghanistan. Currently, statebuilding strategies falter because they fail to link intentions to realistic and innovative delivery mechanisms. The real work lies in implementation, and national programmes can provide the implementation vehicles that align vision, rules, resources and participants to achieve a common goal.

Slum Wars of the 21st Century: The New Geography of Conflict in Central America

Dennis Rodgers — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What impact has spatial context had on the nature of conflict in Central America? What is the nature of present day urban violence? This paper from the Crisis States Research Centre draws on the example of Nicaragua to examine changes in the geography of conflict in Central America. It argues that present-day urban violence in the region can be seen as a continuation of past, predominantly rural, struggles in a new spatial context. At the same time, the new urban geography of violence has led to a more intense form of conflict.

The Bottom Billion

Paul Collier — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This book argues the real challenge of development is the small group of countries that are falling behind and often falling apart. These countries, and the billion people who live in them, are caught in one or another of four traps: the conflict trap; the natural resources trap; the trap of being landlocked with bad neighbours; and the trap of bad governance in a small country. Whilst these traps are not inescapable, standard solutions will not work. Aid has been ineffective, and globalisation has made things worse. A new mix of policy instruments is required, supported by a bold new plan of action for the G8.

The Changing Face of Local Government? Community Development Councils in Afghanistan

Hamish Nixon — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What role do Community Development Councils (CDCs) play at the community level in Afghanistan? This working paper from the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit presents findings from research on subnational governance in Afghanistan. It finds that CDCs have made a significant contribution to the welfare and representation of community members. It is now important to consider the future of CDCs, their role in achieving improved development outcomes and their position in the local governance system.

Education and Fragility: A New Framework

Yolande Miller-Grandvaux — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is the relationship between education and fragility? How can education mitigate fragility and promote stability? This article from The Journal of Education for International Development presents a new framework for education programming in fragile and conflict-affected states. Developed by USAID in 2006, the framework casts education in the forefront of programming priorities as a response to conflict in countries affected by unrest.

Community-Driven Development (CDD) in the Context of Conflict-Affected Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

World Bank — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

What are the challenges and opportunities of community-driven development (CDD) in conflict-affected countries? This paper from the World Bank reviews 13 case studies of countries affected by current or recent conflict that have specifically incorporated CDD in their development efforts. The authors find that CDD is effective in facilitating rapid implementation and cost-effective project delivery, promoting participatory models of governance, and rebuilding social capital.

Poverty Reduction in Fragile States: Do the PRSPs Contribute to Post-Conflict Recovery and Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone?

Masatomo Nao Yamaguchi — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

What contribution has the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) process made to post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding in Sierra Leone? This paper reviews the evidence from Sierra Leone to conclude that although conflict-related issues are rarely taken into account in the PRS framework, the process has and can make a positive impact on post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding in fragile states. It recommends that donors adapt the PRS process to be more conflict-sensitive while pursuing further study into its impact in post-conflict settings.

IBSA Regional Security Dimensions: The South African Perspective

M. Soko — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) initiative can play a crucial role in South-South cooperation in addressing conventional non-traditional security threats in the contemporary global order. This paper, published by the Centre for Policy Studies-Johannesburg, examines the challenges facing South Africa in its efforts to secure regional security and as an IBSA contributor. South Africa's future leadership role will depend upon the ability of regional political elites to balance addressing international and regional obligations while responding to critical domestic issues.