Post-conflict Development Research Articles

Repudiating Causality and Embracing Ambiguity in Post-Conflict Development

Repudiating Causality and Embracing Ambiguity in Post-Conflict Development

Mechanisms of restoration of public authorities and justice in the de-occupied territories of Ukraine: theoretical and applied aspects

the context of russian aggression, which led to the temporary occupation of parts of the Ukrainian territory, there is a need to implement complex measures to restore sovereignty, law and order, and legality. The article reveals a number of important aspects, which include theoretical approaches to the restoration of public power, mechanisms for the restoration of justice, implementation of stabilization measures and practical aspects of their implementation in the de-occupied territories. The theoretical part of the article justifies the need to develop new legal norms that would take into account the specifics of the post-conflict situation, while integrating international standards and the experience of other countries that have undergone similar trials. The role of restoring trust in state institutions through reforming and modernizing the judicial system, ensuring the fair trial of cases, as well as ways of improving the efficiency of justice through the implementation of programs for rehabilitation and support of victims are considered. The mechanisms of restoring justice are highlighted, where the authors emphasize the need to strengthen the institutional base, create conditions for access to judicial protection, and bring to justice persons guilty of crimes during the occupation. Options for implementation of stabilization measures are discussed, in particular, restoration of infrastructure, provision of basic needs of the population, support of local business and creation of new jobs, which will contribute to social cohesion and restoration of public order. The conclusions emphasize the need for a systematic approach, comprehensive measures and adaptation to changing conditions for the successful restoration of law and order in the de-occupied territories. It is recommended to focus on the development of effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that will allow prompt response to challenges and adjustment of recovery strategies. This article will make an important contribution to the scholarly dialogue on restoring public power and justice in post-conflict development, providing valuable guidance for law enforcement and policy decisions.

Revisiting the Concept of Peace: A Sociological Perspective

In the ever-changing global context, understanding peace has become a primary focus across various disciplines, including sociology. The sociological paradigm offers a rich and relevant perspective in understanding the dynamics of conflict, reconciliation, and post-conflict development. However, there is still a need for deeper exploration of the concept of peace within the sociological context. This research aims to investigate the evolution of the concept of peace from a sociological perspective, ranging from classical to contemporary thoughts, and to explore the implications of the sociological paradigm in peace practices and policies. This study utilizes a literature review approach to gather and analyze prominent works in sociology relevant to the concept of peace. The analysis is conducted on the views of leading sociological thinkers and relevant research findings. The findings from this literature review indicate that the sociological paradigm provides profound insights into the evolution of the concept of peace, from classical thinkers such as Durkheim, Weber, and Marx, to contemporary approaches such as critical theory and feminism. The practical implications of the sociological paradigm in conflict resolution, reconciliation, and post-conflict development are also explored. This research underscores the importance of the sociological paradigm in understanding and resolving conflicts and post-conflict development. By considering the complexity of social, political, and cultural dynamics and applying a holistic and contextual approach in designing peace strategies, sociology can make a valuable contribution to promoting sustainable and inclusive peace.

Assessing the speculative dynamics and determinants of residential apartment rentals in Mogadishu, Somalia: A hybrid modeling approach

There has been relatively rapid growth in Somalia's real estate sector recently, resulting in property market booms in major cities of the country. Despite this sector's importance, very little scientific research has been conducted. Thus, this study aims to model the rental value of residential apartments in Mogadishu, Somalia. A hybrid modeling approach is utilized, in which a hedonic regression model was used in the first phase and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) in the second. After analysis, the study established that an apartment's age, size, value, view, number of toilets, air quality, proximity to CBD, proximity to a university and probability of explosion are key factors determining apartment rental rates in Mogadishu, while floor level, parking space, and school proximity do not have a significant impact on apartment rental rates. Because of speculation, there is a higher likelihood of overvaluation than undervaluation in the housing market, which has profound policy and practical implications. Rather than being driven by real demand, Mogadishu's real estate market is driven by speculation, as overvaluation signals are more evident than undervaluation signals. As one of the world's poorest nations, where 70% of the population lives below the international poverty line, and about 80% of jobs are in the informal sector, extreme speculative activities adversely affect Somalia's economic quality and the living conditions of its citizens. Somali citizens need government policies that facilitate the accessibility, affordability, and adequate availability of decent housing. The study recommends protecting Somalia's real estate sector to attract more investors and boost the country's post-conflict development initiatives. A vital contribution of the study is that it is the first to examine the rental value of residential apartments in Mogadishu systematically. This study contributes significantly to housing economics and real estate development literature.

Minority Rights in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: An Analysis of Legislative Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges

Post-conflict peacebuilding is a complex and multifaceted process that seeks to restore peace and stability in societies that have been ravaged by violent conflicts. Minority rights are an integral part of this process, as they play a crucial role in promoting social cohesion, reconciliation, and sustainable development in the post-conflict context. Unfortunately, minority rights are often marginalized and underrepresented in postconflict peacebuilding efforts, leaving minority groups at risk of continued discrimination and exclusion. The neglect of these rights hampers the prospects for lasting peace and hinders the contributions of minority populations to post-conflict societies. This paper examines or analyses the significance of minority rights in postconflict societies. It provides an in-depth examination of issues such as (a) the impact of religion on the formation of majority and minority dynamics in diverse societies, (b) the transformative potential of information technology and its role in fostering inclusive communication, (c) the interplay between primordialism and constructivism in understanding ethnic identities and their implications for the practice of consociational democracy; (d) the inclusivity of peacebuilding approaches and their integration of reconciliation across various facets of post-conflict development. To achieve this, the paper employs a multidisciplinary and non-empirical approach to desk research, including an extensive literature review, qualitative analysis of case studies from conflict-ridden regions, and a critical examination of consociational democracies. This methodological diversity enables a comprehensive exploration of minority rights' complex dynamics in peacebuilding contexts. Finally, the paper argues that achieving sustainable peace requires acknowledging the pivotal role of minority rights and fostering inclusive approaches that empower diverse community members to contribute actively. Despite its limitations, the consociational model offers an adaptable framework for balancing the preservation and reconstruction of ethnic identities in post-conflict settings. Moreover, involving historically marginalized groups, such as women and youth, is essential for building more equitable and peaceful societies.

How Mutually Hurting Stalemates Become Essential in Peace-building Efforts. The Case of Liberia

"The paper focuses on two concepts developed by William Zartman, namely “ripe moments” and “mutually hurting stalemates”. Basically, the concepts tackle the idea of certain proper moments for the beginning of peace talks when the parties to the conflict believe that they are trapped in a painful impasse which no longer brings them victory. Our paper aims to show that hurting stalemates are sometimes the adequate starting point for peace-building efforts as well, not only for starting negotiations, and to apply this on the case of Liberia. The paper is organized around the following research questions: Is the hurting stalemate a military deadlock? Is a similar painful deadlock a good starting point for building sustainable peace in post-conflict societies? Keywords: peace studies, ripeness, mutually hurting stalemates, peace-building, post-conflict development"

La paradoja del desarrollo: consultas comunitarias en la posguerra guatemalteca

En América Latina, la resistencia contra el extractivismo capitalista patrocinado por el Estado ha sido fortalecida por una alianza de movimientos indígenas y ambientalistas que movilizan nuevas formas de participación democrática. ¿Cómo recurren estos movimientos al pasado como fuente de inspiración para persistir en su organización, incluso frente a la exclusión sistemática? Once meses implementando una etnografía de mosaico con una organización de derechos indígenas en Guatemala revelan empíricamente el despliegue de mecanismos narrativos como parte de su repertorio cultural para concertar acciones estratégicas. El caso emblemático de la lucha en curso por la consulta «consensuada, libre, previa e informada» sobre la mina de explotación mineral más antigua de Guatemala en el pueblo lacustre de El Estor muestra acción cívica desplegada a través de imaginaciones temporales: una reconstrucción narrativa de cómo los movimientos sociales se imaginan en la historia y se posicionan en el tiempo. Conectando tres niveles de creación de significado a través de la memoria colectiva de la resistencia frente al colonialismo, el genocidio y el extractivismo, el liderazgo comunitario maya quekchí articula la «coordinación del futuro» a través de la memoria colectiva. Estas acciones directas sirven para resistir al Estado, abriendo nuevas avenidas para la reconceptualización del territorio indígena, el desarrollo en el posconflicto y las ambigüedades políticas de la organización social.

Refugee Return, Reintegration, and Sustainable Futurity: Politics, Pitfalls and Possibilities of Repatriation in Post/Conflict Situations

ABSTRACT With conflict and displacement among the most pressing issues of our time, refugee repatriation and reintegration are integral to post-conflict development and enduring peace. Regarded by the UN as a durable solution, repatriation has come to be viewed as the most viable option given the prevailing global landscape of increased displacement and stringency of national policies towards asylum seekers. These realities have also engendered a pragmatic turn from the principle of voluntariness to an emphasis on safety and the politicisation of the humanitarian agenda that destabilise the foundational principles of the refugee protection regime. Drawing upon the experiences of the Cambodian refugee repatriation in 1992–93, the more recent repatriation of Burmese refugees1 from Thailand and insights from other instances of return, this paper examines the politics, pitfalls, and possibilities of Southeast Asian refugee repatriation following political settlements, prompted as they were by political and other exigencies rather than the restoration of peace and stability. With attention to the relationships between refugees, refugee originating and receiving countries, and the UNHCR, it underscores the predicament, ambivalence, and dismissal that undergird refugee return. It interrogates notions of voluntariness in the context of constrained choice, and of safe and dignified return, citizenship, and belonging in the context of fragile peace. It also reflects on the delimitation of accountability by the changing status of refugees when they re-crossed the border and argues for looking at repatriation and re-integration as a continuum, and for centering sustainability and the restoration of refugee futurity in the discourse of return.

Elections as a Mechanism of Peace. The Cases of Liberia and The Central African Republic

"The paper analyses the normative and empirical capacity of elections to function as a peace mechanism in the early stages of the recovery period. Accordingly, the analysis is based on a theoretical framework that draws attention to the timing of elections in post-conflict societies. Moreover, in order to operationalize such theoretical aspects, the paper focuses on two relevant case studies: the 1997 elections in Liberia (perceived as post-conflict) and the 2020-2021 elections in The Central African Republic (early peace process – not void of conflict). Accordingly, the paper poses the following research questions: How was the prospect of organizing these rounds of election received by the parties involved in the conflict? How did these rounds of election relate to the peace process? Do elections represent an adequate mechanism to achieve positive peace in post-conflict societies? Keywords: elections, peace studies, post-conflict development, peace building, systemic violence."

Beyond return and resettlement: The impact of exposure and interactions on the post-conflict development of North Waziristan

AbstractThis article shares empirical data about the returned and resettled natives and communities of North Waziristan Tribal District in Pakistan, which are undergoing the processes of post-conflict reconstruction and development. In order to present an analysis of the impact of prolonged conflict-induced displacement on the spatially excluded (or bounded) communities of North Waziristan, an inductive approach utilising qualitative methods and semi-structured interviews has been adopted to establish detailed accounts of the ‘networks of interactions’ and ‘displacement-induced exposure’. The findings further suggest that these interactions and networks are transcending and redefining the margins (viz. material space), and the social space of North Waziristan since the natives have expressed growing inclinations towards movement in mainstream Pakistan. The aforementioned arguments establish new perspectives—admittedly controversial—where prolonged conflict-induced displacement has attributed to unintended ‘development’ for spatially excluded communities. Essentially, this article argues that the subject of displacement and post-conflict societies deserves further scrutiny beyond resettlement and return.

Military tourism as a peculiarity of tourism development in a post-conflict territory


 
 
 
 One peculiarity of tourism development in the post-conflict territories of the Ukraine-controlled part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is the possibility of development of military tourism and this is the urgent problem considered in the proposed article. The relevance of the article lies in the possibility of exploiting the existing negative factors in certain eastern territories and turning them into a source of interest and a point of no return. Military tours can have an enormous educational and instructive value both for the younger generation and for all people’s understanding of what conflict situations can lead to. The aim of the work is to develop proposals for the creation of innovative military tours as a feature of post-conflict tourism development in the affected area. General scientific methods, namely analytical, comparative-geographical, historical and marketing analysis are applied. World experience in organizing military tourism was analyzed and some recommendations for organizing such tours in Ukraine, and particularly in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, were revealed. The author’s classification of possible military tours in our country is offered. Recommendations on development of military tours to Ukraine are formed. Ukraine-controlled parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions are evaluated as potentially promising areas for military tourism development. We have suggested specific tourist locations for creating military tours and developed proposals for creating innovative military tours as a feature of post-conflict tourism development in the affected areas in Ukraine’s eastern regions. The organizational mechanism of creating and promoting military tours on the tourism market on the example of the eastern territories of Ukraine has been studied. It is determined that military tours in the post-conflict times can become one of the promising directions of economic development of the eastern regions of Ukraine. The key provisions, factual material and conclusions of the article can be used for further research into the process of tourism development in Luhansk and Donetsk regions in order to develop the national tourism industry. In the future, similar tours may be developed throughout the region after the reintegration process.
 
 
 

CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENTIN POST-CONFLICT TERRITORIES

Problem Statement and Purpose. The issue of development of post-conflict territories and restoration of the post-conflict economy is one of the fundamental issues in international scientific research. Recently, it has also become relevant for Ukraine, which is looking for ways out and solutions to the problems of the postconflict eastern territory. The article deals with one of the possible ways to revive the post-conflict eastern territory, namely the development of Tourism. Data & Methods. The main objective of the presented study is to determine conceptual approaches to the development of post-conflict territories on the example of the revival of the tourism industry in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. In order to achieve the goals and objectives of the study, general scientific and special methods of Geographical Science were used, including methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, philosophical and dialectical. Results. Among the conceptual approaches to the development of post-conflict eastern territory are noted: the growing role of the service sector, improving the business climate and business activity; increasing the share of high-tech industrial sectors; changing behavioral stereotypes of economic entities; effective use of regional potential; development of alternative energy; environmental modernization of production and introduction of energy-saving technologies in production; large-scalegreening of the territory not only settlements, but also the adjacent steppe natural zone; carrying out restructuring works at closed coal and other industrial enterprises; reclamation of numerous waste heaps. It is proposed to step up the development of domestic tourism, taking into account these conceptual approaches. Specific proposals are presented for the possible introduction of the proposed conceptual approaches to the formation of a healthy lifestyle among the local population, as a guarantee of the development of human capital in the affected territory. The article notes that education is of great importance in this, so it is the younger generation that is emphasized. It is proved that conceptual approaches to the development of tourism in the post-conflict eastern territories will contribute to the processes of socio-economic recovery of the region, and further scientific research will contribute to the implementation of programs and strategies for post-conflict development and normalization of the situation.

Rethinking women, peace, and security through the localization of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 & National Action Plans: A study of Nepal and Sri Lanka

This article examines the localization of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (hereafter 1325) on women, peace, and security (WPS) and its successor resolutions, which call for equal participation of women in conflict resolution, peace negotiations, and postconflict development. The article asks: How, and to what extent, does 1325 and any accompanying National Action Plan (NAP) address grassroots women's issues to transform the WPS agenda in Nepal and Sri Lanka's postwar development? Nepal's NAP (2011–2016) is applauded for its localization efforts. Because Sri Lanka does not yet have a NAP, we explore its informal adoption of 1325. Using interviews and a review of policy documents, this article demonstrates that grassroots women's lived experiences support 1325, even as they are often left out of 1325 processes, both state-led and NGO-led. The paper argues that inclusive and bottom-up localization of 1325 and NAPs is critical to achieving the WPS agenda.

Post-conflict development, reviewing the water sector in Somalia

Somali post-conflict development faces many challenges that affect the sustainability of the water sector. This paper reviews and analyses the post-conflict development activities in the water sector through local communications and reviewing published materials and databases from international players in Somalia, funding agencies and financial tracking service. The paper has shown that there has been great attention and support given to the country during its post-conflict development. However, most of these initiatives and projects have focused on emerging issues such as tackling food security and water, sanitation and hygiene services. The paper also shows that the continuous funding of emerging issues in Somalia has reduced its long-term sustainability of the water sector and limited its national and long-term benefits but has increased corruption due to increase the gap between actors and local people. Therefore, new transparent cooperative initiatives are needed based on transparent involvement and coordination among donors, local authorities and implementers to improve and develop the water sector and the livelihood in Somalia through a solid water governance system.

Post-Conflict Development in the Framework of the Danube Region

Post-Conflict Development in the Framework of the Danube Region

”Peace starts with peace of mind”: Study of the intersection between postconflict trauma, peacebuilding and economic development in Northern Uganda

”Peace starts with peace of mind”: Study of the intersection between postconflict trauma, peacebuilding and economic development in Northern Uganda

Donbass at limbo: self-proclaimed republics in the inter-war period (2014–2021)

In order to better understand the new phase of the war in and around Donbass that started in February 2022, the article suggests looking back at the “interwar” period in the region. This period is analyzed through the prism of a combination of three interpretations of the conflict – as an irredentist movement to join the “historical homeland” which the region had been “separated from”, as a civil conflict for a different (multiethnic, multilingual, more decentralized) Ukraine, better disposed towards the aspirations of the people of Donbass, and as an international geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the West. All three interpretations are seen as valid. In 2014–2022, self-proclaimed republics (the DNR and the LNR) went through the stages of their formation in the context of a historical cataclysm, early postconflict development when their economic and social life was still oriented towards Ukraine, the cut-off stage resulting from a strict economic blockade by Kiev, and the concluding period of creeping integration into Russia. The article specifically addresses the limbo phase that lasted from 2016 to early 2022. While this phase brought a greater level of security that allowed life in the DNR and the LNR to go on, security was brittle and prone to significant disruption. However, in both security and socio-political terms, the worst was the sense of a lack of clarity about the entities’ future, with three scenarios circulated by politicians at once: return to Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk agreements, joining Russia, and building up their own “statehood”. The Minsk Agreements that were initially viewed positively, as they reduced the level of hostilities, progressively lost their value. Special status was not what the war had been fought for and it remained an amorphous and abstract idea, which the years that passed since failed to fill with practical content. Balancing on the verge of renewal of hostilities necessitated the resources that the two republics did not have, which locked them into dependency on the Russian government. While the republics survived as self-governing entities with a political and cultural proximity to Russia and established proto-state institutions, they also experienced governance deficit and economic decline. By the early 2020s, any illusions of the two republics’ independent agency evaporated. What started as a people’s rebellion, when the region asserted its right to make choices and act upon them, came to the situation that their future was to be determined elsewhere. This future seemed to clear up since Russia’s formal recognition of the DNR and the LNR and the start of Russian military operation in Ukraine in 2022, but its contours lie beyond the article’s scope.

Institutional Solutions for the Post-conflict Development of the Chechen Republic

The article reveals the institutional solutions for the Chechen conflict and post-conflict development of the Republic within the Russian Federation. The author conducts a retrospective, event- and normative analysis of the stages of the Chechen conflict, when political actors (federal center and ethnic elites) tested various institutional decisions, each time adopting new “rules of the game”: 1) the period of institutional uncertainty from the “Chechen revolution” of 1991 to the dissolution of the first Parliament by Dzhokhar Dudayev in mid-1993; 2) the period of "temporary sorting model" - the search for a Chechen leader alternative to Dudayev for negotiations with Moscow, ended with the signing of a Peace Treaty with Aslan Maskhadov and then his attempt to create an Islamic state on the territory of Chechnya; 3) the stake on Akhmad Kadyrov as a consistent opponent of Wahhabism, who made a turn towards loyalty to the federal Center. At present, stability in post-conflict Chechnya is determined by the following institutional decisions: the constitutional model of Russian federalism, the republic's subsidized dependence on the Center, the integration of the republic's executive and legislative into a vertically hierarchized state system. But along with formal institutions in Chechnya, there are social practices that depend on the socio-historical context (clannishness, adherence to traditional Islamic values), supported by the influential Head of the Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. The spread of traditional socio-political practices shows the possibility of the formation the new gaps between secular society and the political system of modern Russia and the Chechen Republic.

ВЫЗОВЫ ДЛЯ ВОЕННОГО ПРИСУТСТВИЯ ГЕРМАНИИ В ЗОНАХ НЕСТАБИЛЬНОСТИ В АЗИИ И АФРИКЕ

Currently, there are two main forms of a state’s military presence outside its national borders: first, military presence on the territory of allies, strategic partners from among stable countries, and second, various ways of using the armed forces to resolve armed conflicts in areas of instability. In the second case, if and then military confrontation is over, external players can maintain their military presence in the country of origin of the conflict, which is about to enter or has already entered the stage of post-conflict development, preserving the role of external guarantors of its national security and defense systems. The goal of the article is to show the main results of the use of the Bundeswehr in the zones of armed conflicts in Asia and Africa by the early 2020 s, revealing the features and «bottlenecks» of this process in dynamics. The article analyzes the use of the Bundeswehr in the following areas: in Afghanistan, examines Germany’s involvement in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the NATO «Resolute Support» mission, showing the determinism of the forced strategic exit of the Alliance forces from this country; in the Middle East, examines the involvement of the Bundeswehr in the reform of the security sector in Lebanon and Iraq in the context of the anti-terrorist struggle is considered, the «bottlenecks» in the use of the military potential of the Bundeswehr in Syria; in the Horn of Africa, analyses three strategic attempts of Germany to gain a foothold on Somalia as well as their consequences for using the Bundeswehr on the African continent in general; in North and West Africa, the use of military tools for «fencing» of instability zone in Libya and for resolution of armed conflict in Mali are compared, the fundamental difficulties of maintaining Germany in this region are revealed.

Strategies for post-conflict development of the Health Systems in Somalia: lessons from selected countries

Until the beginning of 1991, Somalia had a reasonable health care system with a good number of tertiary hospitals in Mogadishu and Hargeisa, some regional hospitals, district hospitals, clinics, child and mother health centres (CMH) and out-patient dispensaries. However, the conflict resulting from the civil war has destroyed the public health care system which existed in the country. Somalia was not alone in having conflicts. The total number of conflicts in the world in 2017 was 49, many of them have now entered post-conflict phases, where open warfare has come to an end. There is growing evidence that conflict has a devastating impact on health systems and the health status of the population. In Somalia, the post-conflict phase provides a unique window of opportunity for health sector development and reform. At this juncture, health systems in Somalia face the double burden of a flawed pre-conflict health system, characterised by deficiencies and inequities, and the long-term impact of conflict on the health status of the population and its resultant strain on the health system. This review article analyses the framework for the rehabilitation of health systems in post-conflict countries. Such knowledge can be applied in the rehabilitation and development of health systems in Somalia along the lines of the World Health Organization’s health system building blocks. The impact of conflict on the health status of the population as well as the health system can be catastrophic and be felt for years after the State has entered the post-conflict phase, but also provides an opportunity for reforms of the affected State’s health sector.