[Discussion] CfP: External Actors and State (Re)-Construction, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Onur Ưnal
oinal@ku.edu.tr
Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:12:11 +0300
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A Call for Papers
External Actors and State (Re)-Construction,
A Conference at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
November 11-12, 2005
The industrialized countries have provided a steady flow of financial =
resources and technical assistance to low-income countries for several =
decades. The capacity of aid to improve the welfare of low- income =
populations should not be in doubt. Western aid has helped build roads, =
vaccinate kids and buy textbooks. Aid has been much less successful, =
however, in building effective public institutions. In fact, in =
countries like Rwanda or Haiti, a large donor presence could not prevent =
state collapse. Capacity building within the state apparatus remains an =
elusive goal in most low-income countries. It is particularly =
problematic where violent conflict has destroyed the central state, and =
donors, relief agencies and NGOs have in effect taken over most public =
functions. It is tempting to say that external agents lack the capacity =
to build strong indigenous organizations, yet outsiders appear to be =
able to structure politics in the same countries in some cases, notably =
in the field of externally-induced democratization.
The conference will focus broadly on the impact of external actors on =
state construction and reconstruction in the developing world, as we =
start from the premise that there can be no sustainable development =
without effective indigenous public institutions. We ask questions such =
as: Why has state construction proved to be so difficult for aid? Does =
the fault lie in the approaches donors have followed? Are there =
alternative models of capacity building that traditional donors need to =
learn from? Are external agents simply unsuited for the tasks of =
creating and sustaining the legitimacy that public organizations require =
to be effective? Are some kinds of state structures easier to construct =
than others? What distinct problems, if any, are posed by the =
reconstruction of collapsed states? What are the emerging lessons of =
large-scale foreign intervention in countries like the Balkans or East =
Timor? What is the relationship between state construction and =
democratization? What role can outsiders play in the development of =
democratic governance?
The conference will investigate both theoretical and policy issues. We =
are interested in understanding the impact of external assistance on =
local political, economic and institutional dynamics in broad =
comparative and theoretical terms. We are also interested in the policy =
lessons that are now available from very different situations on the =
ground, and look forward to papers that focus on specific case studies. =
In particular, it is striking how little cross-fertilization there has =
been until now between the analysts of traditional development aid and =
the emerging literature on state reconstruction in places like =
Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, or Sierra Leone.
The conference will commission a small number of outside papers, and =
welcomes proposals for papers from the Cornell community. The papers =
will be published in the Einaudi Center Working Paper series, and =
perhaps in an edited volume. Inquiries should be addressed to Nic van =
de Walle (nv38@Cornell.edu) or Heike Michelsen (hm75@cornell.edu). The =
deadline for proposals will be August 1, 2005.
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<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DSylfaen><STRONG>A Call for =
Papers<BR><BR>External=20
Actors and State (Re)-Construction,<BR><BR>A Conference at Cornell =
University,=20
Ithaca, NY<BR><BR>November 11-12, 2005</STRONG><BR><BR>The =
industrialized=20
countries have provided a steady flow of financial resources and =
technical=20
assistance to low-income countries for several decades. The =
capacity of=20
aid to improve the welfare of low- income populations should not be in =
doubt.=20
Western aid has helped build roads, vaccinate kids and buy =
textbooks. Aid=20
has been much less successful, however, in building effective public=20
institutions. In fact, in countries like Rwanda or Haiti, a large =
donor=20
presence could not prevent state collapse. Capacity building =
within the=20
state apparatus remains an elusive goal in most low-income =
countries. It=20
is particularly problematic where violent conflict has destroyed the =
central=20
state, and donors, relief agencies and NGOs have in effect taken over =
most=20
public functions. It is tempting to say that external agents lack =
the=20
capacity to build strong indigenous organizations, yet outsiders appear =
to be=20
able to structure politics in the same countries in some cases, notably =
in the=20
field of externally-induced democratization.<BR><BR>The conference will =
focus=20
broadly on the impact of external actors on state construction and=20
reconstruction in the developing world, as we start from the premise =
that there=20
can be no sustainable development without effective indigenous public=20
institutions. We ask questions such as: Why has state =
construction=20
proved to be so difficult for aid? Does the fault lie in the =
approaches=20
donors have followed? Are there alternative models of capacity =
building=20
that traditional donors need to learn from? Are external agents =
simply=20
unsuited for the tasks of creating and sustaining the legitimacy that =
public=20
organizations require to be effective? Are some kinds of state =
structures=20
easier to construct than others? What distinct problems, if any, =
are posed=20
by the reconstruction of collapsed states? What are the emerging =
lessons=20
of large-scale foreign intervention in countries like the Balkans or =
East=20
Timor? What is the relationship between state construction and=20
democratization? What role can outsiders play in the =
development of=20
democratic governance?<BR><BR>The conference will investigate both =
theoretical=20
and policy issues. We are interested in understanding the impact =
of=20
external assistance on local political, economic and institutional =
dynamics in=20
broad comparative and theoretical terms. We are also interested in =
the=20
policy lessons that are now available from very different situations on =
the=20
ground, and look forward to papers that focus on specific case =
studies. In=20
particular, it is striking how little cross-fertilization there has been =
until=20
now between the analysts of traditional development aid and the emerging =
literature on state reconstruction in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, =
Kosovo, or=20
Sierra Leone.<BR><BR><BR>The conference will commission a small number =
of=20
outside papers, and welcomes proposals for papers from the Cornell =
community.=20
The papers will be published in the Einaudi Center Working Paper series, =
and=20
perhaps in an edited volume. Inquiries should be addressed to Nic =
van de=20
Walle (<A href=3D"mailto:nv38@Cornell.edu">nv38@Cornell.edu</A>) or =
Heike=20
Michelsen (<A =
href=3D"mailto:hm75@cornell.edu">hm75@cornell.edu</A>). The=20
deadline for proposals will be August 1, =
2005.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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