Development Security And Unending War

According to politicians, we now live in a radically interconnected world. Unless there is international stability – even in the most distant places – the West's way of life is threatened. In meeting this global danger, reducing poverty and developing the unstable regions of the world are now imperative. In what has become a truism of the post-Cold War period, security without development is questionable, while development without security is impossible. In this accessible and path-breaking book, Mark Duffield questions this conventional wisdom and lays bare development not as a way of bettering other people but of governing them. He offers a profound critique of the new wave of Western humanitarian and peace interventionism, arguing that rather than bridging the lifechance divide between development and underdevelopment, it maintains and polices it. As part of the defence of an insatiable mass consumer society, those living beyond its borders must be content with self-reliance. With case studies drawn from Mozambique, Ethiopia and Afghanistan, the book provides a critical and historically informed analysis of the NGO movement, humanitarian intervention, sustainable development, human security, coherence, fragile states, migration and the place of racism within development. It is a must-read for all students and scholars of development, humanitarian intervention and security studies as well as anyone concerned with our present predicament.

What does it mean to live dangerously? This is not just a philosophical question or an ethical call to reflect upon our own individual recklessness. It is a deeply political issue, fundamental to the new doctrine of ‘resilience’ that is becoming a key term of art for governing planetary life in the 21st Century. No longer should we think in terms of evading the possibility of traumatic experiences. Catastrophic events, we are told, are not just inevitable but learning experiences from which we have to grow and prosper, collectively and individually. Vulnerability to threat, injury and loss has to be accepted as a reality of human existence. In this original and compelling text, Brad Evans and Julian Reid explore the political and philosophical stakes of the resilience turn in security and governmental thinking. Resilience, they argue, is a neo-liberal deceit that works by disempowering endangered populations of autonomous agency. Its consequences represent a profound assault on the human subject whose meaning and sole purpose is reduced to survivability. Not only does this reveal the nihilistic qualities of a liberal project that is coming to terms with its political demise. All life now enters into lasting crises that are catastrophic unto the end.

"This book examines the nature of today's internal and regionalized conflicts, together with the systems of global governance that have emerged in response to them. The widespread commitment among donor governments and aid agencies to conflict resolution and social reconstruction indicates that war is now part of development discourse. The very notion of development, the author argues, has been radicalized in the process, and now requires the direct transformation of Third World societies. This radicalization is closely associated with the redefinition of security. Because conflict is understood as stemming from a developmental malaise, underdevelopment itself is now seen as a source of instability." "The author argues, however, that transforming the social systems of developing countries is beyond the ability and legitimacy of individual governments in the North. As a result, governments, NGOs, security forces, private companies and UN agencies have all become part of an emerging and complex system of global governance. The aim is to secure stability on the borders of ordered society where the world encounters the violence of the new wars." "This book represents contribution to our understanding of modern conflict and the difficulties of effective engagement. Together with practitioners and policymakers seeking a challenging interpretation of their work, the book will be of direct interest to students and scholars in the fields of international security, political economy, political theory and development studies."--BOOK JACKET.

This textbook draws on academic theory, field research and policy developments to provide an overview of the connections between security and development, before, during and after conflict.

This volume critically examines what happens when war formally ends, the difficult and complex challenges and opportunities for winning the peace and reconciling divided communities. By reviewing a case study of the West African state of Sierra Leone, potential lessons for other parts of the world can be gained. Sierra Leone has emerged as a 'successful' model of liberal peacebuilding that is now popularly advertised and promoted by the international community as a powerful example of a country that they finally got right. Concerns about how successful a model Sierra Leone actually is, are outlined in this project. As such this volume: -

Written by experts in the field, this book covers a range of contemporary developments, as well as providing coverage of the theory and practice of international development.

This volume critically examines what happens when war formally ends, the difficult and complex challenges and opportunities for winning the peace and reconciling divided communities. By reviewing a case study of the West African state of Sierra Leone, potential lessons for other parts of the world can be gained. Sierra Leone has emerged as a 'successful' model of liberal peacebuilding that is now popularly advertised and promoted by the international community as a powerful example of a country that they finally got right. Concerns about how successful a model Sierra Leone actually is, are outlined in this project. As such this volume: - provides a critical understanding of the nature, dynamics and complexity of post-war peacebuilding and development from an internal perspective - critically assesses the role and contribution of the international community to state reconstruction and post-war peacebuilding and evaluates what happens when war ends - explores the potential relevance and impact of comparative international efforts of post-war state building and reconstruction in other parts of Africa and the world The collection focuses not only on understanding the root causes of conflict but also identifying and appreciating the possibilities and opportunities for peace. The lessons found in this book resonate well beyond the borders of Sierra Leone and Africa in general.