Post-conflict Regions Research Articles

Supporting Asset-Based Youth and Community Development in Conflict Zones: A Training Example from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a region known for its years of ongoing violence, armed conflicts, and volatile security conditions. For young people, this conflict situation has resulted in insecurity, displacement, and the recruitment of children and youth into armed militia groups. In response, many youth associations in this region are actively working on building peace in their communities by addressing problems related to armed conflict. This article presents a training series offered to these associations to build their capacity for peace-building and social change work. The trainings used an asset-based approach to youth-led community development and peace-building, beginning with existing resources, talents, skills, and knowledge to build a foundation for action. It describes an approach to working in high conflict or post-conflict regions that emphasizes young people's existing capacity to implement and/or lead community change. This article reviews the training design and highlights several short-term outcomes from these trainings, including outcomes related to both training content and training process. The project found that the paradigm shift from “I need” to “I have” was particularly meaningful for participants, and promoted a sense of agency individually and collectively. It also highlighted the need for and importance of a strong, locally-based NGO or other entity to provide the advance and follow up work in support of the learning that happened during the three-day training.

Policy entrepreneurs and post-conflict cross-border cooperation: a conceptual framework and the Israeli–Jordanian case

What is the role of policy entrepreneurs in shaping the dynamics which normalize relationships between neighboring countries after the formal resolution of conflict? This article suggests a conceptual framework to understand the influence of policy entrepreneurs on public policy regarding cross-border interaction in post-conflict border regions. We analyze the motivations, preferences and strategies of local players which design given realities in the border region. We propose a typology of the various policy entrepreneurs active in the post-conflict border region. The theoretical framework is used in the analysis of the Israeli–Jordanian border region since the peace treaty of 1994.

Course of post-traumatic stress disorder following war in the Balkans: 1-year follow-up study

Prevalence rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the experience of war have been shown to be high. However, little is known about the course of the disorder in people who remained in the area of conflict and in refugees. Method We studied a representative sample of 522 adults with war-related PTSD in five Balkan countries and 215 compatriot refugees in three Western European countries. They were assessed on average 8 years after the war and reinterviewed 1 year later. We established change in PTSD symptoms, measured on the Impact of Events Scale - Revised (IES-R), and factors associated with more or less favourable outcomes. During the 1-year period, symptoms decreased substantially in both Balkan residents and in refugees. The differences were significant for IES-R total scores and for the three subscales of intrusions, avoidance and hyperarousal. In multivariable regressions adjusting for the level of baseline symptoms, co-morbidity with depression predicted less favourable symptom change in Balkan residents. More pre-war traumatic events and the use of mental health services within the follow-up period were associated with less improvement in refugees. Several years after the war, people with PTSD reported significant symptom improvement that might indicate a fluctuating course over time. Co-morbid depression may have to be targeted in the treatment of people who remained in the post-conflict regions whereas the use of mental health services seems to be linked to the persistence of symptoms among refugees.

Symbols of Hope: A Case Study of Telemedicine Projects in Post Conflict Regions

This paper describes a grounded theory study of a telemedicine centre in a post-conflict region. Rich studies of Developmental ICT initiatives in developing countries generally are rare, and almost non-existent for post-conflict developing regions. The post-conflict context loads additional factors into an already complicated systems development process. The primary contribution of this paper is to set out factors present in the case organization which have received little attention previously and which were important in the successful implementation of a large scale telemedicine system in the Balkans. What emerges from this study is the symbolic nature of the project as one of the main factors which influence success. This has implications for our understanding of the dynamics of developmental ICT initiatives generally and in post-conflict, developing regions in particular.

Arts-Based Practices in Regions Affected By War

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cultural disintegration, political confusion and unresolved inter-ethnic conflict are just some of the hurdles that can face citizens in war affected areas. After the Dayton Accord had been signed in 1995, international government and charity organizations and a variety of NGOs flooded into Bosnia and Herzegovina to help rebuild the infrastructure and to offer transitional economic and political support for the beleaguered, fragmented population. Although arts-based activities, therapies and projects were also part of the international influx, this form of psychosocial intervention was piecemeal, somewhat random, and often unable to sustain a long term or systemic approach to the massive psychosocial needs of the people. There appears to be little peer-reviewed fieldwork research to support claims of effectiveness of arts-based projects in post-conflict regions. Therefore, considering the growing number of projects that use the creative arts as an intervention for trauma, conflict transformation and community building in war affected populations, the purpose of this paper is to search for, and critically examine, empirical arts-based research conducted in war affected areas and/or any population that may have been directly impacted by activities of armed conflict.

Telemedicine Systems Development in Post-Conflict Contexts: A Country Case Study of the Role of Symbols of Conflict in Systems Engineering

Post-conflict regions are extreme situations which load additional variables onto systems engineering projects. The success of advanced technology projects in post-conflict regions is mixed and success factors in these regions remain poorly understood. Whilst the immediate conflict may be over in a post-war situation, the affects of the conflict as a symbolic system is likely to remain in a society. This paper explores the symbolic importance of conflict in a successful post-conflict health informatics project. Health informatics technologies are an important response to the difficult conditions in post-war territories. The primary contribution of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to set out a case study of a successful Telemedicine Systems implementation in a post conflict region. Secondly, to note symbols of conflict in a telemedicine initiative in a post-war Balkan region. These contributions demonstrate a major weakness in current technology acceptance theory and open up new avenues for research into international stability and advanced technology development and adoption in post-conflict regions.

Environmental security in post war Bosnia and Herzegovina

The civil war of 1992-1996 caused great environmental damage in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Environmental health of post-conflict regions is often considered a secondary issue, however this will receive increased attention as political and economic development proceeds. There are several reasons why the ecological condition of a postconflict area is, on the contrary, of principal concern, including the limitations presented by damaged ecosystems, the health threats posed by environmental harm, and the prospect that co-operation towards environmental policymaking can act as a platform for further conciliatory efforts. This paper assesses the impact on the ecology that the 1990 Bosnian war had and offers a brief introduction to environmental security issues and the challenges faced by BosniaHerzegovina.

Bathroom Mixing: Youth Negotiate Democratization in Postconflict Bosnia and Herzegovina

Consociational democracy, as a political project of passive coexistence and agreement among ethnic elites, has been shaping sociopolitical processes in the world's postconflict regions, including Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In BiH, this political model, when combined with continuous governance by the International Community, solidifies war‐generated ethnic segregation and erodes state sovereignty. Furthermore, these political, social, and spatial arrangements lead to the institutionalized separation of ethnic groups and territories in BiH. At the famous Mostar Gymnasium, my primary research site, this is manifested in the simultaneous unification of the school management and segregation of classroom spaces, classroom instruction, and students along the ethnic lines. The implementation of a top‐down cartography of peace building at the school led to the destruction of common spaces for students to interact. This spatial ethnic division limited what the students call, in the local vernacular, miješanje (mixing). I understand mixing as a long‐standing cultural practice of interconnectedness and intermingling among ethnic groups. This article pays special attention to the practices of bathroom mixing at the school that unfolded alongside the consociational model of democracy and the history of mixing as an interethnic social order. Focusing on bathroom mixing illuminates the paradoxes and unintended effects of the spatial governmentality of peace‐building in BiH.

Technology Adoption in Post-Conflict Regions

Post-conflict developing regions are special cases of developing countries which have received little attention in information systems research. They are emergency situations which attract significant aid designed to help create economic stability through, for example, the use of IT. This study compared the experiences of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) adoption in the extreme environment of a post-conflict region to other developing regions. Presenting data gathered from 68 companies in Kosovo, this paper provides an in-depth examination of EDI technology adoption in a post-conflict region. The findings suggest that EDI adoption in Kosovo comprises different features when compared with other developing countries, indicating that current theories of technology adoption have not fully accounted for EDI adoption in post-conflict regions. From this finding, implications for interventions in post-conflict regions are drawn. This paper contributes to the understanding of technology adoption processes and offers new insight into the process of technology adoption in this context. This paper provides a starting point for further work which creates a basis for more effective interventions in post-conflict zones, contributing to economic development and stabilisation.

Strategiczne dylematy Sojuszu Północnoatlantyckiego

In the aftermath of the Iraq crisis, the North Atlantic Alliance faced its most serious predicament since the ColdWar. Its mission in Afghanistan revealed growing discrepancies between the member states. The Georgian crisis of 2008, the missile defence project and the enlargement showed a lack of coherence. NATO has split up into two or more factions. A crucial question arose as to NATO’s ability to resolve the three main strategic dilemmas which have grown more pressing since the end of the ColdWar: (1) the choice between collective defence as the key role of NATO (Art. 5) and its out-of-area role of combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and international terrorism; (2) the choice between the transatlantic nature of NATO and its global partnerships; (3) the choice between the concept of the global military engagement of NATO and the so called comprehensive approach involving the cooperation of NATO with other security organizations such as the UN, the EU and the OSCE in reconstructing post-conflict regions. NATO’s performance in managing these challenges will bear critically on its future. The Strategic Concept from Lisbon 2010 has helped to clarify many controversial issues within the organization. NATO has managed to mitigate the risk of developing into a multi-tier organization. Relations between the factions have relaxed although interests appear to remain as diverse as they were before.

International Governance via Shared Sovereignty Arrangements between International (Donor) Organisations and Weak States

The creation of a sustainable peace process after an intra-sate conflict is widely seen a going hand in hand with the economic reconstruction and socio-economic development of the post conflict society. During the transformation period especially countries, which are rich of resources, seem to be in need of external support to fight the structures of war-economies and to create a stable socio-economic development. In this situation international donor organisations often take over governance functions of the weak state and seek to apply so-called international governance-standards to address the local situation. This raises first and foremost the question whether and how these international organisations are bound to these governance standards themselves. Additionally, does this external involvement raise concerns about its legitimacy; critics even speak of a form of intervention into the sovereignty of a (weak) state or even of a new form of colonialism taking the ownership of the processes from the target-state.The balance between local needs and the depth of international involvement seems fragile and international donor activities can in fact push against or go beyond the borders of the Westphalian concept of sovereignty and bluer the lines between the domestic and international sphere. So-called temporary shared-sovereignty agreements between international (donor) organisation and transitional governments could serve as a concept to cope with the outlined challenges.The question is whether shared sovereignty arrangements can indeed serve as a veritable tool for governance in states emerging out of conflicts? Sharing temporary effective control over state-institutions, resources and policy fields between governments and international (donor) organisations could remove some of the impediments for a sustainable socio-economic development and peace in post-conflict countries and entire regions. This assumption and the above raised question will be critically discussed by using inter alia at the examples of the Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program for Liberia (GEMAP) and the Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project.

An Assessment of Technology Adoption Theory in Post-Conflict Regions: A Case Study of Kosovo

Advanced control and automation systems adoption into industrial supply chains significantly improve the management of information and provide a basic industrial IT infrastructure. Post-conflict societies are an extreme situation which has not previously appeared in the literature on technology adoption. This paper presents findings of a post-conflict country case study of technology adoption during a critical period five to six years after a major war. Data was gathered from 68 companies, findings are presented and interpreted. From this conclusions are drawn about the neo-institutional theory of technology adoption and technology adoption policy Kosova.

Environmental health risks and vulnerability in post-conflict regions

The importance of environmental factors during and after conflict has often not received adequate attention, and is of particular importance when assessing those groups most vulnerable to changing conditions. Post-war reconstruction and aid policies must take note of which groups are most susceptible to environmental health risks, and how the conflict itself often created new vulnerabilities through deliberate destruction of the natural and built environments. The environmental security and public health fields have a good deal to offer in understanding these dynamics, and must work more closely together in the future to identify potential vulnerabilities in advance of conflicts and disasters.

The Influence of International Agencies on Technology Adopters in Post-Conflict Regions: The Case of Kosova

Post-conflict zones need to rapidly create sustainable economic activity to ensure their stability. International agencies bring significant knowledge and influence into these regions. Institutional theory has demonstrated that institutions can have a significant positive influence on economic development, not least by stimulating the adoption of advanced technologies to support improved local business processes. This paper presents findings of a case study of the influence of international agencies in Kosova during a critical period six years after the 1999 war. It uses neo-institutional theory to draw up theoretical propositions for testing. Data was gathered from 68 companies, findings are presented and interpreted. From this conclusions are drawn about international agency policy in Kosova. Few empirical studies have appeared which assess the extent and effectiveness of the positive influence of International Agencies on the diffusion of important automation and control systems technologies throughout the societies in which they operate.

Sense of coherence and coping in adolescents directly affected by the 1991—5 war in Croatia

This study was guided by the salutogenic model, and aimed to: 1. describe the social contexts of stronger and weaker SOC (sense of coherence) participants who were adolescents or entering adulthood in the war-affected regions in Croatia, and 2. identify how the levels of SOC related to their responses to the stressors in their social context. Qualitative longitudinal study design and methods were used for the analysis. In-depth semi-structured interviews, participant observations and SOC scale were carried out, and data were collected from 17 female participants twice during two years. The general social context of the participants was summarized with published materials on the similar subjects and analysis of the field-notes and the participants' narratives. In the analysis of the qualitative data, comparisons were made between the three SOC levels (low, middle, high levels categorized with SOC scores), relating to the participants' self-described social contexts. Childhood stability, acceptance of own ethnic identity, management of uncertainty, and the meanings of work emerged as the responses and resources that may influence SOC. How Ottawa Charter health promotion strategies can be adapted in the post-conflict regions is discussed and priorities of addressing strategies are suggested. The discussion points include: 1. the importance of re-orienting health services and creating supportive environments from the aspects of building the secure base of children and promoting health of the next generation; 2. the required personal skills that enabled adolescents to exercise control and make choices conducive to health in a social context of the a war-related turbulent society; 3. the needs for building healthy public policies to tackle unemployment and strengthening community action to rebuild social capital through work revenues.

Mitigating Volatility: Protecting Chinese Investment in Post-Conflict Regions

As China's economy grows and government controls liberalize, Chinese investors are realizing the value and opportunities associated with investment in post-conflict regions. Given this trend, and the volatility associated with the political and economic environments in post-conflict regions, this article illustrates several mechanisms - bilateral investment treaties, domestic laws regulating foreign direct investment, tax treaties and tax incentive zones, and international investment organizations - Chinese investors may wish to employ when investing in post-conflict states. Such mechanisms serve to incentivize foreign direct investment by providing lower market entry and operating costs and protecting investments with transparent and robust controls. While none on their own guarantees protection, together, they provide a substantial safety net should the investment environment deteriorate.

A 3D Approach to Security and Development

There is an emerging consensus among policy makers and scholars on the need for a more integrated approach to security and development policies in post-conflict regions. That notion was shared during the conference entitled ‘A Comprehensive Approach to Modern Conflict: Afghanistan and Beyond,’ hosted by the George Marshall Center on March 26th and 27th, 2007. Distinguished academics, policy makers and representatives form international governments shared their views and experiences. This article is based on a short introduction I gave during that conference, having the privilege to be in one of the panels. Drawn upon the experiences of the Netherlands in different missions, recently in Southern Afghanistan, we believe interagency cooperation goes hand in hand with an integrated approach on the ground. Furthermore, cooperation with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, national as well as international, is crucial to succeed. Success can only be established in terms of strengthening local ownership. Therefore, a comprehensive approach should be aimed at strengthening the national and regional institutions. We all learn from our experiences and only by sharing this knowledge we can improve our policies. There is however no ‘one size fits all’ solution and there are no easy fixes. Every mission and every situation will require its own approach. We should be open for continuous adaptation and change in our strategies and policies.

Cognitive Maps in a Post-Confl ict Situation: the Image of One’s Own Region among Pupils in Jabukovac Elementary School (Banovina)

The paper deals with cognitive maps among older elementary school pupils (in grades 5 - 8) in one of the post-conflict regions of Croatia. The methodology involved quantitative analysis of the respondents' hand-drawn maps and qualitative analysis of textual answers to questionnaire items. This led to conclusions in regard to a series of factors that influence the distortions and the selectivity of cognitive maps. A reconstruction was made of informal geographical knowledge of one's own region, as well as of the parameters through which the home region is experienced.

Post-Conflict Global Governance: The Case of Microfinance Enterprise Networks in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The article examines the institutional infrastructure that supports the foreign aid flows in the mcrocredit sector in postconflict Bosnia and Herzegovina. It documents the mobilization of transnational networks between different international agencies in the course of the policy formulation and implementation, and elicits the effects that certain network attributes exert on the policy choices made by individual organizations. How and why do international governmental and nongovernmental organizations, with at times conflicting goals, join forces in such networks? More important, whose goals are eventually implemented, and under what conditions? Whose goals are diluted in the process of network mobilization? What are the policy implications of such “battles” for the postconflict reconstruction? The article seeks some answers to these questions, demonstrating how transnational networks intermediate between the organizational goals and the final policy outcomes that result from such a network–based mode of global governance in postconflict regions.

World Heritage and the World Bank: Culture and Sustainable Development?

This article comments on a recent initiative by international agencies, which focuses on heritage tourism in developing countries and draws on a comparative study of world heritage sites (WHS) undertaken by the author and colleagues (Evans 1999). The attention now awarded to heritage sites can be gauged by a recent initiative by the World Bank, in collaboration with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization (WTO), titled Culture and Sustainable Development. This programme seeks to develop a cultural agenda as part of the Bank's financing of projects in developing countries and post-conflict regions, particularly where heritage and “at risk” monuments are located. Currently, 36 separate “projects in partnership” in 30 countries are being supported under this initiative, reflecting the acceptance that heritage conservation, tourism and economic regeneration are mutually supportive and viable strategies for development.