Theories, rhetoric and practice: recovering the capacities of war-torn societies

TY - JOUR

T1 - Theories, rhetoric and practice

T2 - recovering the capacities of war-torn societies

AU - Barakat, S

AU - Chard, M

PY - 2002/10

Y1 - 2002/10

N2 - As international attention focuses on the rebuilding of Afghanistan, this paper looks critically at the evolution and meaning of the core concepts underpinning aims and strategies for recovery: the key role of institutional development and capacity building in establishing good governance based on collaboration between state, civil society and market; the empirical consensus, over many decades, for best practice in development; the acknowledgement that recovery of war-torn societies is a development challenge. It is shown that, despite this understanding, operational practice continues to contradict the principles and lessons learned from proven experience. The financial and administrative culture of the international institutions, lack of political will, donor conditionality and recipients' contrary agendas are seen to contribute to this failure. The paper concludes by examining the implications of this analysis for the recovery of Afghanistan.

AB - As international attention focuses on the rebuilding of Afghanistan, this paper looks critically at the evolution and meaning of the core concepts underpinning aims and strategies for recovery: the key role of institutional development and capacity building in establishing good governance based on collaboration between state, civil society and market; the empirical consensus, over many decades, for best practice in development; the acknowledgement that recovery of war-torn societies is a development challenge. It is shown that, despite this understanding, operational practice continues to contradict the principles and lessons learned from proven experience. The financial and administrative culture of the international institutions, lack of political will, donor conditionality and recipients' contrary agendas are seen to contribute to this failure. The paper concludes by examining the implications of this analysis for the recovery of Afghanistan.

KW - CIVIL-SOCIETY

KW - INSTITUTIONS

KW - GOVERNANCE

KW - FRAMEWORK

U2 - 10.1080/0143659022000028639

DO - 10.1080/0143659022000028639

M3 - Article

SN - 0143-6597

VL - 23

SP - 817

EP - 835

JO - Third World Quarterly

JF - Third World Quarterly

IS - 5

ER -