Autonomous Recovery Made in Somaliland: Assessing Processes, Challenges and Chances of State Formation and Nation Building
Abstract
That successful reconstruction of 'failed states' demands international intervention is a reigning paradigm in international relations. However, while post-conflict Timor-Leste is obviously still suffering from weak state structures, Somaliland appears having managed to establish functioning mechanisms of governance on its own. How has this been achieved?
Finding an answer to this question is the main purpose of the research project, which critically analyses processes of 'autonomous state formation' and 'nation building' in the Horn of Africa. It seeks to explore how state formation has been carried through in some areas of this war-torn region and investigates why and to what degree effective structures of governance have been built without noteworthy international intervention. Using Somaliland as the primary case study, the argument that wars represent 'development in reverse' is being challenged. Quite contrarily, it is suggested that the processes standing behind such (violent) confrontations may exercise developmental influences on state formation and nation building.
Analysing efforts of post-conflict reconstruction in the Horn of Africa the research will provide academia and policy with new insights into its underlying processes. Thereby, the results are expected to also lend valuable insights into other cases of state formation and nation building outside the region in question.
Supervisors
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Professor James Putzel (ID/ Crisis States Research Centre)
Research areas
Governance in states under stress; Politics of post-war reconstruction, state formation and nation building; Development and institutional change; Regional focus on the Horn of Africa.
CV/Resume
Languages
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German (Native Speaker);
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English (3S, 3W);
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French (2S, 2W);
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Spanish (1S, 1W)
1=Basic, 2=Intermediate, 3=Advanced.
Contact information
ID
London School of Economics
Houghton Street
London, WC 2A 2AE
United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 207 955 6054
Fax: +44 207 955 6844
Email: d.helling@lse.ac.uk|
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