"Contradictions and Convergences in State-Building. Peace-Building, and Humanitarian Action"

New York University Wagner School of Public Service
Rudin Forum, 2nd Floor
295 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10012

Ongoing conflicts such as Afghanistan, Iraq and the challenges of reconstruction in other post-conflict environments continue to highlight the complementarities and contradictions between state-building, peace-building, and humanitarian action in both theoretical and practical terms. While some argue that there has been an operational convergence between state-building and peace-building, others argue that these processes co-exist in an awkward, uneven, and contradictory tension. These dynamics can be seen in areas including, but not limited to security sector reform efforts, the often fragmented and contradictory actions of external donors, efforts for transitional justice, and the creation of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.

This seminar will explore the intersections between these concepts at the theoretical, policy, organizational, and operational levels. The focus will be on identifying the complementarities and contradictions through analyses of the policies and practices of donors and operational agencies, as well as through specific country case studies.

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