Engaging the Opposition Inside Syria

RESEARCH & CONSULTANCY

In this issue ...2-3 NEWS Leadership in post-crisis PRDU presents at House of Lords Honorary degree for Nobel co-laureate4-6 RESEARCH & CONSULTANCY UNICEF Somalia study progress Post-conflict higher education Evaluating research in divided societies How mass atrocities end7 TEACHING & TRAINING Crisis, Recovery & Transitions in Beijing8-9 ONLINE MIHA DEGREE Update and student profiles 2013–1410-11 MA COURSE 2013–14 Student profiles12-13 MA COURSE 2012–13 Placement reports14-15 MA COURSE Where are they now?15 IN MEMORIAM Barbara De Anna16 PUBLICATIONS

Revival to go digital in 2014It has been wonderful to sustain revival as a hard-copy publication for almost 20 years.However, technology is moving on a pace, and more and more people are downloadingnewsletters as pdf files to read on computers,tablets and the like.

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revivalIn Revival 29, Sultan Barakat and Sansom Miltondiscussed the risk of the West viewing Syria as anopportunity to penalise Iran, since when there have beentens of thousands more casualties and Syria has becomethe world’s most severe humanitarian crisis, with morethan 8 million displaced inside and outside of the country.Here they argue that a welcome change in tone from the West, together with an acknowledgement within the Syrian opposition that extremist groups are harmingtheir cause, present a window of opportunity for the West to support locally-rooted, non-extreme solutions.

The situation on the ground in Syria has become the world’s most severehumanitarian crisis. Its economy lies in ruins, with over 45% unemployment and a 40% fall in GDP during 2011–2013.Furthermore, the modest gains in humandevelopment over thepast 12 to 15 yearshave been wiped outand the country hasrecorded the largestfall in the GlobalPeace Index.

Despite thedeterioratingsituation variousrecent developmentshave opened up awindow for nationaldialogue and compromise. A number of factors have prompted the realisationamongst the opposition that they have totalk to the Assad regime. Firstly, the vastmajority of the opposition inside Syria wellappreciate that the thriving Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) and other similarimported extreme groups have done muchto harm their cause. Secondly, fighting onthe ground has reached a stalemate and theopposition has woken up to the fact thatthey are one small part of a greater regionalgame linked to Iran, Israel’s security andneighbouring countries’ stability. Thirdly,having originally taken to the streets in thename of liberty and dignity, and to change

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Engaging the oppositioninside Syria

the way Syria was governed and its wealthdistributed (not necessarily to overthrowAssad), those entrusted with the difficulttask of day-to-day governance in the largeswathes of ‘liberated areas’ have found as much in common with the regime as with foreign extremist groups. In fact the opposition is having to negotiate andcooperate on a daily basis with the Assadregime in order to provide basic services to a increasingly demanding population.

What has also become clear over the pastyear is that the opposition in Syria does nottrust its representatives outside the country,and that any trust they may have had in theinternational community was shattered bythe ebbing of its resolve to intervene directly.After interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Mali

many on the streetsof Syria now ask,“Why is Syrian blood cheaper?”

As can be seenfrom the changedrhetoric of leaderssuch as BarackObama and DavidCameron, the worldhas moved on frominitially wanting tointervene directly in

order to forcibly remove the Assad regime,to seeking a negotiated political settlement.

For these reasons much more thinkingneeds to be done as to how to exploit thiswindow of opportunity. The onus is now on the international community to capitaliseon this moment of ripeness by transcendingelite settlements and supporting locally-rooted solutions.

This requires that the internationalcommunity deploy greater resources in the form of soft power, diplomacy and, in particular, direct engagement with theSyrian opposition inside the country. No doubt this venture entails a high degree of risk, but there must be a means > p.10

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NEWS

Understandinginfluence:

The use of statebuilding research in British Policy

in fragile, conflict-affectedcountries

At the House of Lords in June 2013, Professor Sultan Barakat, Dr TomWaldman and Andrea Variscopresented the interim findings of amajor ESRC-DFID-funded project at anevent entitled Understanding Influence:The Use of Statebuilding Research andBritish Policy in Fragile, Conflict-AffectedCountries. The talk was hosted byBaroness Harris of Richmond – aDeputy Speaker in the House of Lords,and Chair of the Industry andParliament Trust – and attended byofficials from the UK government aswell as representatives from prominentNGOs and think tanks.

The research team outlined thebackground and context of the three-year research project before detailingthe levels and forms of use according to different types of research, andpresenting some of the most significantconclusions with respect to the factors and dynamics pertaining to statebuilding research uptake inBritish policymaking. While noting thatresearch use has been extensive overall,they nevertheless drew attention toprominent continuing weaknesses and shortcomings.

Key recommendations were alsopresented, amongst which were: theneed for improved knowledge manage-ment and institutional memory atcountry level; enhanced communicationand awareness of research activitiesacross government departments; andprocesses to strengthen local researchcapacity in the fragile countries that the UK operates in.

A book linked to the project, alsoentitled Understanding Influence, will bepublished by Ashgate in early 2014. n

On 8 July 2013, the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) and the OverseasDevelopment Institute (ODI) hosted the launch of a new Centre for Post-crisisLeadership and Development (CPLD). The purpose of the Centre, which will deliveractivities through the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU) at theUniversity of York, and the Australia New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG)Institute for Governance, is to nurture, at all levels, the leadership required to engagecommunities around tackling difficult underlying problems in a constantly changingand uncertain environment.

The launch event was chaired by Baroness Haleh Afshar OBE, Professor in Politics and Women’s Studies at the University of York. Speakers included: Sultan Barakat,Professor of Politics and Director of the PRDU at the University of York; BenedictDempsey, Senior Humanitarian Affairs Adviser for Save the Children; Claire Messina,Senior Coordinator of the Humanitarian Leadership Strengthening Unit at the Officefor the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); John Mitchell, Director of theActive Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in HumanitarianAction (ALNAP); Dr Sara Pantuliano, Head of the Humanitarian Policy Group at the ODI; and Paul Porteous, Director of Leadership Development and InternationalPrograms at the ANZSOG Institute for Governance.

At the launch, speakers stressed that leadership is tested in times of crisis, when itis most needed, but that few formal systems are in place to build effective leadershipin humanitarian emergencies, either among international staff or among localpractitioners. In the midst of mounting and invariably complex humanitarian crises, a lack of leadership can result in uncoordinated, unstrategic and even ineffectualresponses that undermine local authorities, economies, and social structures – and, moreover, fail to respond adequately to those in need of assistance.

The new Centre for Post-crisis Leadership and Development will play an essentialrole in developing frameworks for leadership-building in a humanitarian context,evaluating whether existing organisational structures in governmental and non-governmental organisations adequately encourage effective leadership.

Sultan Barakat stressed that, “while we put an emphasis internationally on qualityleadership, what doesn’t exist is an equivalent on the ground to enable locals to take on thatrole and to build skills in leadership. We don’t induce a culture where people are trusted to take on leadership”. In fact, a distinct trend is evident in post-crisis settings wherebylong-term international engagement often results in a de-skilling of qualified localpersonnel, who are unable to find qualification-appropriate roles or to take the lead in recovery.

Sara Pantuliano stated that all leaders should have a knowledge ofInternational Humanitarian Law, withoutwhich they would be disempowered. She went on to outline six qualities that an ideal leader should posess: (1) political acumen – the ability toidentify the stakeholders and navigatearound the power struggles; (2) diplomatic skills; (3) consensus-building skills – the ability to generate a shared vision; (4) team-building skills;(5) networking at different levels; and (6) the willingness to take risks.

Speakers concluded that localleadership is not currently prioritised inpost-crisis transition, and that there hasalso been little interest in building cultural sensitivity to non-standardised traditionalleadership systems into collaborative governance, as defined by the internationalcommunity. Paul Porteous summarised that: “Leadership is a verb, it’s something you do.Too often we see it conflated with the concept of authority”, but often authorities areconcerned with “maintaining the status quo”. Leadership is the ability to generateinnovative and adaptive solutions to diverse challenges. To build upon leadershipskills, the CPLD will examine in detail what works and what doesn’t in trying tobuild towards unified visions of post-crisis transition. n

Leadership in post-crisis

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Baroness Harris and the PRDU team take questions.


New staffA warm welcome to Dr Kenneth Bush, our newAl-Tajir Lecturer in Post-war Recovery Studieswho was appointed inSeptember. Dr Bush wasa founding professor

of the Conflict Studies Programme of St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada,and has held teaching positions at theUniversity of Ulster, Queen’s Universityand Carleton University (Canada), and Bilkent University (Turkey).His PhD in International Relations andComparative Politics was from CornellUniversity, and he also holds Mastersdegrees in Government (Cornell) andInternational Affairs (Carleton).

Dr Bush has worked with a broad spectrum of humanitarian, development and peacebuildingorganisations in South and South EastAsia, and has undertaken fieldwork in a number of other countries, includingTurkey, Uganda, Mozambique, SouthAfrica, and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Danny Singh started as a Teaching Fellow inOctober 2013, havingrecently submitted hisPhD thesis at the PRDU.Danny has extensiveteaching experience at

both undergraduate and postgraduatelevel, and is currently a Module Tutorand supervisor of students for theMIHA programme (see pages 8–9),and also contributes to teaching on the MA in Post-war Recovery Studies.

His PhD focused on the issues ofcorruption and anti-corruption strategyin the lower levels of the AfghanNational Police that negatively impactson both security and the rule of law, and included extensive field research in Afghanistan. Previously, Dannystudied an MA in Global Politics andInternational Law at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Politics.

Sansom Milton is a newlyappointed ResearchIntern. His researchinterests include the roleof higher education inpost-conflict recovery (see page 4), post-war

reconstruction in Iraq and Libya, thepolitics of the Middle East, and theoriesof reconstruction and development.Sansom recently submitted his PRDU-funded PhD in Post-war RecoveryStudies. Prior to joining the PRDU hewas a researcher at the Regional HumanSecurity Centre in Amman, Jordan.

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NEWS – OUR PEOPLE

Nobel co-laureate Rae McGrath honoured by YorkEvery year the University of Yorkbestows Honorary Degrees onpeople who have made asignificant contribution to society.Previous recipients nominated bythe PRDU include HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal (2002),

Lyse Douset (2011) and Yohei Sasakawa (2013). Rae McGrath, co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel PeacePrize, will receive an Honorary Doctorate in 2014.Here, he talks briefly about his journey from militaryengineer to anti-landmine campaigner, and his long-standing association with the PRDU.

When I left the military in 1985 I planned to become a journalist. In fact I was gettingregular magazine work as a freelance when, quite late one night, I received a phonecall from Save the Children Fund asking if I would be interested to work in Darfurwith their famine response team. The pay was rubbish and the conditions soundedworse; how could I refuse?

And so began my career as a humanitarian fieldworker – in Darfur I ended uprunning the distribution of 150,000 tonnes of sorghum to communities spread over an area roughly the size of France with, in those days, very little in the way of roadsbeyond desert tracks. Over the years that followed I gravitated to the work I foundmost challenging; responding to the needs of vulnerable communities in conflict andnatural disaster. I worked in many parts of Africa and Asia but eventually, as did somany aid workers in those days, I found myself in Afghanistan. It was there that myrather basic military landmine knowledge became useful – working on the heels ofthe retreating Soviet and regime forces I was managing an agricultural rehabilitationprogramme but began to recognise the huge impact of landmines on land-use. Weincorporated a mine clearance element in the programme but soon recognised wewere literally only scraping the surface. Those stumbling steps grew, via a somewhatwinding route, to become the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and the eradication of unexploded ordnance took over my life for some years, as did advocacy to ban landmines and cluster munitions.

Fifteen years ago, when I first became a visiting lecturer at the PRDU, I used to layminefields in the university grounds – my association has remained strong because Irecognise the value of melding practical techniques with academic knowledge. Someyears ago my career went full circle and I became engaged again in humanitarianresponse to conflict, the core of my current work with Mercy Corp’s Syria response.

What do I feel about being awarded an Honorary Doctorate at York? It feelsnatural, we’re old friends. n

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Bradley Lineker graduatedfrom the MA in Post-warRecovery Studies in 2013,and is now providingextensive research andadministrative supportfor the PRDU through

its annual placement scheme. Initially he will be supporting preparations forPRDU engagement with projects withthe Government of Afghanistan as well as UNICEF Somalia (see page 4).

Bradley has previously conductedresearch into resource-based neo-patrimonial networks in Angola; andwritten on the conceptualisation of‘liberty’ through the French Revolution,and corruption in early 1990sMozambique. His MA dissertation, builtupon extensive work with UN-Habitat,applied a Foucauldian appreciation ofpower to the planning and buildingregime of Jerusalem in the context of ‘conflict’.

Julia Smith joined thePRDU in October as adoctoral candidate andresearch assistant toProfessors Sultan Barakatand Tony Heron. Herinterests are in the fields

of economic sociology, social networks,trade and commodities, and social andbehavioural change. Current researchincludes groundwork for a project, The Domestic Foundations of EconomicResilience, which investigates exogenousshocks, size, and ethnic diversity ofstates in relation to economic resilience;and a randomised controlled trial toevaluate the impact of membership inindigenous financial institutions in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo.

Julia was the recipient of the 2011Guido Galli Prize, awarded by theUniversity of York, for her work oncoping mechanisms in Liberia (see PRDUWorking Paper No. 1, January 2012). n


PRDU Research InternSansom Milton (who hasrecently submitted hisPhD thesis ‘The NeglectedPillar of Recovery: A Studyof Higher Education inPost-war Iraq and Libya’)

states there is real need for research andknowledge sharing on higher educationin post-conflict recovery.

Higher education is often neglected interms of post-conflict investment, yet thesector offers arguably a major resourcethat can contribute to post-conflictreconstruction, statebuilding,peacebuilding, and related fields –referred to here as post-conflict recovery. In post-conflict contexts, higher educationsectors can connect to a wide range ofpost-conflict recovery tasks, including re-pooling human capital depleted by war and displacement, research on localsocial and developmental challenges, and a long-term sustainable approach tocapacity building. However, while basiceducation in emergencies, conflict andreconstruction has recently emerged as a major research area, the issue of highereducation in post-conflict recoveryremains largely under-studied inacademic literature. Existing studies tendto be conducted at the country or projectlevel, with few previous attempts atglobal theorisation of the field.

While the issue remains under-studiedand under-theorised, over the past decadethere has been increasingly greater globalrecognition at the level of practice of theimportance of higher education inconflict-affected and post-conflictcontexts, as evidenced by the expansionof various scholar rescue schemes.Furthermore, over the past decade there has been a growth in projects andprogrammes designed to build domestichigher education and research capacity in post-conflict countries, for instanceuniversity partnership and scholarship

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programmes. This increase in activity has not been followed by a correspondingincrease in the number of publicly-available evaluations, reports, andassessments. As a result, the knowledgebase on the effectiveness of highereducation interventions and policies in post-conflict settings is very weak.There is therefore a need for greatersharing of knowledge on highereducation in post-conflict contexts.

While carrying out fieldwork onhigher education in post-war Libya it wasfound that many university and Ministryofficials faced the myriad challenges ofthe post-conflict environment with verylow knowledge of how similar problemswere addressed in other settings. Libyanofficials should be commended foradapting – often in innovative ways – tothese challenges, but lessons learned fromother cases, including Iraq, Afghanistan,or Lebanon, could have improved policyand practice. In order that such lessonlearning can occur in a way that couldenable the higher education sector to beharnessed as a positive resource capableof driving future cases of reconstructionand development, it is vital thatknowledge of higher education in a widerange of post-conflict contexts is sharedand reflected upon in a much moresystematic manner.

Beyond international agencies anduniversities producing and sharinginformation and knowledge on post-conflict higher education, it is also vital to seek the voices of universities andacademic communities in post-conflictsettings. As others have argued,‘Southern’ voices are often excluded fromdebates over fragility, peacebuilding, andrecovery. An inclusive dialogue involvingdiverse voices and perspectives fromacross the globe can establish theimportance of learning, knowledge, and higher education to the long-termtask of recovery and development inpost-conflict societies. n

Post-conflict higher education: the need for greater knowledge sharing

UNICEF Somalia CPSAAs revealed in Revival 29, the PRDU has been commissioned to conduct atwo-part study on behalf of UNICEFSomalia as part of UNICEF’s Peace-building, Advocacy and Education inConflict-Affected Contexts programme.The four-year programme (2012–15)aims to bolster social cohesion andhuman security through strengthenededucation policy and practices in 10 conflict-affected countries.Education has a vast potential influencein post-conflict societies through cruciallinkages to their social, economic andpolitical spheres. It can help build toolsto sustain relationships and linkagesvital to peace-building, while providingcrucial space for integration.

In-depth country contextualisation isregarded as crucial when implementingpeace-building programmes, and thefirst stage of the project has consisted of a conflict, peace, situation analysis(CPSA) of Somaliland, Puntland, andSouth-Central Somalia. The largelyfield-based analysis has focused on the community-level education system,using a bespoke participatory researchmethodology, the cornerstone of which is the collaboration between the University of York Team and itsSomali partner organisation, Daryeel.

The University of York/DaryeelTeam employed a multi-level datagathering and analysis process in order to fully capture the complexitiesof the relationships between conflict,education, and peace-building at thelocal, district, regional, and nationallevels. A mixture of semi-structuredinterviews, focus group discussions,and consultations with keystakeholders at international, national, and regional levels have been conducted. Community-level datacollection activities have been carriedout by 16 local teams who were trainedin Hargesia and Mogadishu by the jointUniversity of York/Daryeel Team.

The CPSA will be education-focusedand policy-oriented in its analysis,building towards the second stage ofthe consultancy, the development of thePeace-building Education Programmedesign. The research team, led bySultan Barakat, includes FrankHardman from the University of York’sInstitute for Effective Education,Professor Ken Menkaus of DavidsonCollege (North Carolina, USA), Dr David Connolly, Dr AlexandraLewis, Kathryn Rzeszut, Kelsey Shanksand local partners. n

Professor Sultan Barakat and Dr Sean Deely ran a PRDU-led workshop at the University of Tripoli on the role of highereducation in Libya’s post-war transition – Tripoli, Libya, 2012.




conflict, or mixed impacts of any and all interventions inconflict zones – this includes the evaluation itself, as well as

the initiative being evaluated.

3. Evaluation is fundamentally a political exercise: The conduct of evaluation in conflict zones is embedded in

the political dynamics of the environment. Evaluators arefaced with multiple pressures emanating from multiple,intersecting, conflicts, as well as power imbalances,competing donor interests, and their own value-systems.

In this context, evaluators should be prepared for politicalcomplications throughout the evaluation process.

4. A broader skill-set is required of evaluators in conflictzones: Evaluation in conflict zones requires a skill set thatgoes beyond the usual social science approaches and tools

at the disposal of evaluators – from cultural humility andconflict resolution skills to ethnographic and securitytraining and context-specific ethical sensibilities.

5. Methodology: Conventional, linear, approaches toevaluation are often insufficient in conflict zones. Theintroduction and growing practice of creative, flexible,

and adaptive evaluation approaches rooted in systems and complexity thinking would help to generate robust,

useful findings. In this process, meta-evaluation (that is, theevaluation of evaluations) would be helpful in rebuildingand reshaping evaluation standards and practice in conflictzones by fusing theory, methodology and practice.

6. Extreme Ethics: Extreme context is infused with extremeethical implications – more risks, greater risks, and greaterconsequences of all decisions and actions. Each stage of

the evaluation process should be monitored very closelythrough a “politico-ethical lens”. Much work remains to

be done in examining ethical challenges in conflict zones,and in finding strategies to anticipate or address them.

The fruits of the project include an edited volume entitledEvaluation in Extremis – The Politics and Impact of Research inViolently Divided Societies (under review); a special issue of theJournal of Peacebuilding and Development (2013, Vol 8, No. 2); as well as a series of academic articles. The dissemination of this research has also included paper presentations, bookpanels, and specialised skill-based workshops at conferences in the USA, Europe, South Asia, and Africa. n

Dr. Kenneth Bush, the Al-Tajir Lecturer in Post-war Recovery Studies at the PRDU, reports on a recentlyconcluded bridge-building research project which he has undertaken with Colleen Duggan, Senior ProgrammeSpecialist of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

How do we know whether a development or humanitarianprogramme is ‘working’ in a conflict zone? Indeed, how do we know whether it is having its intended impact, and notexacerbating tensions or conflict?

How does conflict context affect the methodology, logistics,politics, and ethics of the conduct of evaluations or researchprojects?

How should we evaluate the impact of research in violentlydivided societies, be it positive or negative?

These questions are explored in a recently concluded projectentitled Evaluating Research on and in Violently Divided Societies.The three-year study, funded by IDRC, seeks to build bridgesbetween post-war recovery studies and evaluation research andpractice. While much work continues to be done on the theories,methodologies and praxis of peacebuilding, we suggest that the international aid community, researchers and practitionersneed to think more deeply and systematically about the role of evaluation in increasing the efficacy of projects andprogrammes in violently divided societies.

What have we learned from this research?

1. The evaluation of our interventions in conflict zones is the Rosetta Stone for understanding and systematically

strengthening those social, political and economicsubstructures needed to support locally-determined paths

to peaceful, prosperous, and just futures. In the absence of ‘good’ evaluation, we are left to make decisions based on impressionistic or anecdotal assessments, or worse:

opaque political, economic, or particularistic interests.

2. Context matters: The extreme nature of the conflictenvironment shapes and amplifies the challenges ofconducting evaluations and, importantly, the consequencesof each decision made in the process. Evaluators andcommissioners must be able to tease out the inevitable peace,

Building bridges between post-war recovery studies and evaluation research and practice

How do we know whether a humanitarian programme is having its intended impact? – Three images from Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka, 2007.


RESEARCH NEWS


Conference shortsPRDU ResearchAssistant and PhDcandidate, Andrea Varisco,presented the paper:‘Using Knowledge inSecurity Sector Reform(SSR) Policy: The

Influence of Research on British-Led SSRin Sierra Leone’, at the 17th AnnualInternational Conference on Economicsand Security, held at the StockholmInternational Peace Research Institute(SIPRI) in Sweden, 14–15 June 2013.

Andrea Varisco also presented the paper:‘The Challenge of Using Research inSecurity Sector Reform: A Case Study fromSierra Leone’, at the Peace ScienceSociety – International StudiesAssociation (PSS-ISA) Joint Conference2013, held in Budapest (Hungary), 27–29 June 2013.

PRDU Research Fellow,Kathryn Rzeszut,participated in the PSS-ISA JointConference 2013 asdiscussant in the panel‘Securing the Fragile

State: the Challenges of Security SectorReform in Conflict-Affected States’.

PRDU Research Intern,Sansom Milton, presenteda paper entitled‘Analysing and EvaluatingHigher Education in Post-conflict RecoveryProcesses: The Cases

of Iraq and Libya’ at the conference‘External educational interventions and history education reform in post-conflict contexts: The case of SouthEastern Europe’, held at the GeorgEckert Institute for InternationalTextbook Research in Braunschweig,Germany, 20–22 November 2013. n

Santander bursary awardCongratulations to Alexandra Kiss, PRDU PhDstudent, who has won a Santander InternationalConnections Award for her fieldtrip to Colombiain early 2014. The bursary will significantlycontribute to travel expenses, subsistence,accommodation fees and other costs for the visit,which forms a crucial part of her research project

focusing on the reintegration of former child combatants.As well as showing ambition and creativity, applicants must

demonstrate how their project will benefit the development ofthemselves, the wider University of York community, and theSantander Universities network (comprising over 1,040universities in 17 countries), through which Santander has beensupporting higher education for the past 16 years. n

Professor Barakat starts Visiting Fellowship in Qatar

On 1 September 2013 Professor Sultan Barakat started a nine-month fellowship at the Brookings Institution, Doha Centerbased in Qatar. During this period he will conduct researchinto the role that Qatar plays as a third-party mediator invarious conflicts in the Middle East including Sudan, Lebanonand Palestine. This will build upon earlier research conductedinto the role of Qatari peacemaking and conflict mediationbefore and after the Arab Spring, which can be found in hispaper ‘The Qatari Spring: Qatar’s Emerging Role in Peacemaking’published by the London School of Economics as part of theKuwait Programme on Development, Governance andGlobalisation in the Gulf States. n

How massatrocities end

Dr Claire Smith (Lecturer in Post-warRecovery Studies) has been invited tojoin the US-based World PeaceFoundation’s two-year researchprogramme on ‘Ending Mass Atrocities’.Six scholars from Tufts, St. Andrews and,with Claire on board, York, arecollaborating on a multi-country studyon the relationship between massatrocities and various forms of solutionand intervention. The results of theresearch will be published in a majornew series of articles and books through2014 and 2015. The project, which waslaunched in June 2013 at theInternational Genocide Scholars AnnualConference in Siena, compares endingsto mass atrocities across seven countrycase studies: Iraq, Sudan, Bosnia,Guatemala, Burundi, Timor-Leste andIndonesia.

As part of her research into how massatrocities ended in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Claire is exploring the role ofgovernments and internationalorganisations in building peace. To thisend, in April 2013 Claire was invited towork as the Senior Research Fellow on astudy of local governance in fragilestates in Timor-Leste, hosted by The AsiaFoundation and the Justice and SecurityResearch Programme (JSRP) at theLondon School of Economics (LSE).

Nicholas Rowland (MA in Post-warRecovery Studies graduate 2012–13)joined Claire as a Junior Research Fellow,also sponsored by the Asia Foundationand the JSRP. Their co-authored paper,‘Negotiating the Governance Gap in aPost-War State: Assessing LocalGovernance Reform in Timor-Leste’, isforthcoming in 2014 as part of the Theoryin Practice Working Paper series with theJSRP at the LSE. n

A fond farewellFollowing 13 fruitful years at thePRDU, Dr David Connolly will be leavingus in January 2014 to join the HagueInstitute for Global Justice.

David came to the PRDU in 2000 asa PhD student under the supervision ofSultan Barakat. Since then he hascontributed widely to the growingsuccess of the Unit, conducting researchand professional training programmesin a range of countries, andundertaking numerous studies forUNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, the UKForeign and Commonwealth Office, thegovernment of Afghanistan, the Centrefor Humanitarian Dialogue, andinternational and local NGOs.

In 2011, David co-founded theEducation in Conflict & Emergenciesprogramme at York, and he hasrecently been the Programme Directorfor the MSc in InternationalHumanitarian Affairs – a role whichProfessor Barakat will take over until asuitable replacement is found.

We would like to thank David forthe hard work he has put into the Unit,and wish him all the very best in hisfuture adventures. n



TEACHING & TRAINING

New actors and local responsesFindings from the Advanced Course on Crisis, Recovery & Transitions in Beijing, October 2013

The so-called ‘traditional’ humanitarian sector has been slow to adapt to the contribution of newactors, such as regional organisations and privateenterprises. However, there remain keyopportunities to develop new models which buildupon the resilience of crisis-affected populationsand the contributions of numerous new actors inthis field, including countries such as China.

These findings emerged from the week-long Advanced Course on Crisis,Recovery and Transitions organised bythe Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at the Overseas Development Institute(ODI) in partnership with TsinghuaUniversity’s School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM).

The course, which was held in Beijingin mid-October 2013, also involvedcollaboration with the Post-warReconstruction and Development Unit(PRDU) at the University of York and theAustralia and New Zealand School ofGovernment’s Institute for Governance(ANZIG). Speakers were drawn from a wide range of institutions, includinguniversities, think tanks andorganisations such as the UN Office for the Coordination of HumanitarianAffairs (OCHA), the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross (ICRC), theChina International Search and Rescue(CISAR) Team and the National DisasterReduction Centre of China (NDRCC).

Business as usual: international engagement with crisesThe Advanced Course involved a reviewand critique – to which both speakersand participants contributed – of existinghumanitarian institutions, as well as aidfinancing and coordination mechanisms.Participants were particularly critical of subcontracting arrangements which, while seen as beneficial foraccountability, have often unnecessarilywasted vital humanitarian resources.Several participants called formechanisms to ensure that less aid is lostdue to subcontracting arrangements asfunds make their way from donors tothose directly supporting crisis-affectedcommunities. Doing so will require not only new mechanisms but, equallyimportantly, capacity-building initiativesdesigned to genuinely strengthen localentities and enable them to work withforeign donors and major humanitarianinstitutions without excessivesupervisory arrangements. Participantsand speakers highlighted shortcomingsin existing models of capacity-building,

noting that they often rely on costlyexternal experts, ineffective short-termtraining or on-the-job approaches thatoften fall by the wayside amidst thedemands of programme implementation.

New actors: regional organisations and the private sectorThe course highlighted opportunitiesand pockets of innovation, particularlyaround the growing roles of so-called‘new’ or ‘emerging’ actors, such asregional organisations and private firms.

The private sector is playing anincreasing role in humanitarian actionand post-crisis recovery. However,participants felt that it was important to move beyond a primary concern with the role of the private sector as asupplier, service provider or donor viacorporate social responsibility (CSR)initiatives. Instead, they noted ways inwhich the private sector could bring tobear new technologies to assist crisis-affected communities, whether in theform of geospatial imagery from Google or the IKEA Foundation’s efforts to develop improved shelters, in partnership with UNHCR. There is a continued need to develop creativeways in which firms could contribute toemergency response and preparednesswithin the scope of their ‘core businessmodels’.

Learning from emerging powers: the Chinese experienceThe Chinese government, often referredto as a ‘new’ actor in humanitarian work,in fact has long experience in respondingto disasters, both domestically andabroad. The country is vulnerable, notonly to earthquakes but also to floods,droughts, fires, typhoons, blizzards and epidemics such as SARS.

The 2003 SARS epidemic wasparticularly influential in shapingChina’s approach to crises. Following the epidemic, the Chinese authoritiesconcluded that their approach to disasterpreparedness and response was overlycentralised and that its emergencymanagement services were outdated.Since that point the Chinese authoritieshave, like much of the internationalcommunity, followed a familiar pattern:first introducing highly structuredapproaches such as complex contingencyplans at multiple levels, beforeconcluding that a more flexible approachwhich accounts for civil society andcommunity contributions was crucial.

China’s crisis response tools have both developed domestically andinternationally, and the country hasapplied technology to disasters increative ways.

Conclusion: the changing humanitarian landscapeCourse speakers and participants broadlynoted that the humanitarian landscape is changing, bringing new opportunitiesand new challenges. Promising ideas are rapidly emerging, propelled by newactors such as the private sector, regionalorganisations and countries such asChina, but institutional procedures andpolitical considerations too often continueto take precedence. The notion ofleadership – and, specifically, adaptiveleadership – emerged several timesduring the course.

Some felt that a new generation ofhumanitarian leaders is needed to over-come organisational hurdles and refocusaid work more fully on vulnerable and crisis-affected populations. Future Advanced Courses in Beijing willspecifically take up this question of crisisleadership in a continuing partnershipwith Tsinghua University’s School ofPublic Policy and Management. n

If you are interested in learning more about the Advanced Courses in York and Beijing, or registering for an upcoming course, please visit:www.odi.org.uk/programmes/humanitarian-policy-group/advancedcourse

This report was extracted from the Summary Note ofthe Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at the ODI.

Campus grounds at Tsinghua University, Beijing.


I am a humanitarian aid worker withtwo years’ experience in Somalia, Egypt, and currently as a ProgrammeOperations officer in a Turkey/Syriamission with an NGO called ‘TheMENTOR Initiative’. Previously, I worked with Médecins Sans Frontièresas part of their Belgium section, andwith UNHCR. My background is inpharmaceutical sciences but having read many books, case studies, lifetimeexperiences, and research findings abouthumanitarian assistance, I decided topursue a career in the humanitarianfield once I had graduated.

Ahmed Alameldeen Egypt

Originally from the town of Westmont,Illinois (just outside of the city ofChicago), I attended the communitycollege of Dupage where I completed an Associates in Arts degree. I thencontinued my studies at MissouriWestern State University in Saint Joseph,where I received a BA in Philosophy.After college I enlisted in the UnitedStates Air Force and currently work inthe Civil Engineering career field where I will soon have earned a secondAssociates in Construction Technologythrough the Community College of the Air Force.

Casey Carpenter USA

I trained as a nurse, specialising intropical nursing and health education.Since then I have worked: as a nutritionalcoordinator in refugee camps in Sudan;as a primary health care trainer inMyanmar; with traditional birthattendants in Yemen; with marginalisedcommunities in Mongolia; and, morerecently, with urban communities onenvironmental health projects, and with disabled refugees in Ghana. I have a Masters in Global DevelopmentManagement, and currently work as an External Relations Officer in a local research centre in Bahrain.

Carrie Bell United Kingdom

I have been living abroad for the last 13 years. Since 2009, I’ve been workingfor Médecins Sans Frontières, developingexperience in training and coachingnational and international staff. Beforethat I held management positions ininternational accounting and financeorganisations. I possess a postgraduatedegree in Management Accounting andManagement Control from UniversitatPompeu Fabra (Barcelona); a bachelor’sdegree in Business Administration fromthe University of Lisbon; and have takena number of specific training courses inHumanitarian Aid and Development.

Joao Antunes Portugal


MIHA STUDENT PROFILES 2013–14MSc in INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

MIHA – going fromstrength to strength

Professor Sultan Barakat,interim Director of the onlineMSc in InternationalHumanitarian Affairs (MIHA),reports on the progress of theprogramme which has receivedglowing feedback from its first

cohort of distance-learning students, and whichwelcomed its second cohort in September.

2012–13 intakeSince the launch of our online MIHA in January 2013 (see Revival Issue 29),the first cohort have completed threemodules of the programme and are setto move into their second year. As thecourse allows participants to continueworking full-time, students havealready been able to apply the theory,academic debates and new policy-based knowledge to their professionalroles and environments. Feedback sofar (see below) shows they are enjoyingthe distance-learning experience:

“The opportunity to encapsulate the ideas from the reading in adiscussion forum was great.”

“An excellent opportunity for addingmore and different points of view.”

The weekly online discussions“serve as a means to clarify myown understanding of the week’sreadings. I also appreciatereading the analysis of others.”

The discussions “give us newperspectives and contextualization

for our understanding.”

“Real cases are very stimulatingwhen we can discuss the contextand the results of the initiativeswhile taking into account theacademic perspective.”

The readings are “very exciting and informative.”

“Support from the administrator is outstanding.”

The programme is run in collaborationwith the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute(HPG-ODI), one of the world’s leadingteams of independent researchers andinformation professionals working on humanitarian issues. The onlinecontent continues to benefit from thecontributions of senior practitionersand policy experts such as PRDUAssociates Dr Simon Robins and Dr Shipra Narang, Sean Healy(Médecins Sans Frontières {MSF}

Humanitarian Advisor), Eva Svoboda(HPG-ODI Research Fellow) and Dr Emanuele Sommario (AssistantProfessor of International Law, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna). Thebespoke learning materials are regularlysupplemented and refined so that theMIHA continues to be informed bydevelopments in theory and practice.

2013–14 intakeIn September we were delighted towelcome a new cohort of 18 students tothe MSc in International HumanitarianAffairs (MIHA) programme. This bringstogether a diverse range of professionalsacross the global humanitarian response,including the sectors of education,governance, health, law and security.They are working for key agencies suchas the United Nations High Commission

for Refugees, AusAID and MSF, inaddition to a range of NGOs and therespective armed forces of Canada and the United States.

As well as the 13 students who areprofiled here, the cohort also includes:

Malik Allaouna-Moreau FranceHaroon Altaf United KingdomSamuel Beever AustraliaSachiko Kareki JapanJulie Stalker Australia n

For further information on theMIHA please contact theprogramme administrator,

Emma [email protected] visit our web pages:

www.york.ac.uk/politics/centres/prdu/training/msc/


I have been living abroad for the last 15 years, and have worked in Bosnia,Haiti, Morocco, Burundi, South Sudanand now Colombia. My current postentails coordination and planning, butalso supervising protection interventionfor the internally displaced population.My first degree is in Economics and Ihold an MSc in Development Economics.I also have some experience in genderstudies. This course is an opportunity toreflect on my field experience and to startthinking more strategically. I know it willnot be easy, as I have not studied at thislevel for some years.

Elena Cibeira Spain

After completing a Baccalaureate inNutrition at Laval University in 1997, I worked in a community health center in Canada. In 2011, I completed a PostGraduated Certificate in InformationOperations at Cranfield University. I have twice been to Afghanistan withthe Canadian Forces as an officerworking with the Civil-MilitaryCooperation (CIMIC) branch. I have alsobeen to Sudan, Bosnia and Herzegovinaand Haiti. During these deployments, I have helped to set up projects related to community improvement and RRR(Return, Reintegration and Recovery).

Janie Desjardins Canada


MIHA STUDENT PROFILES 2013–14MSc in INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

I have been working in Sweden since2011, in the field of developmentcooperation. I have an MA in Economics,and my work experience lies in projectand programme cycle management, withfocus on the promotion of human rights,and gender equality. I joined the MIHAcourse to develop my formal educationand to form a deeper understanding ofhumanitarian assistance and policies,that will contribute to both career andskills development (e.g. to be able tobetter support the NGO I work with in their assistance to Western Sahara and a refugee camp in Algeria).

Gorka Fagilde Mozambique

I am the Center Manager for the Clean Combustion Research Center atthe King Abdullah University of Scienceand Technology (KAUST), a graduateresearch university 90km north ofJeddah in Saudi Arabia. The Centeropened in 2009. Prior to this MiddleEastern adventure I have lived andworked in Nigeria, Namibia, Thailandand Australia.

Claire Morris United Kingdom

I graduated from the Australian NationalUniversity with a BA in DevelopmentStudies (Hons), with my honours thesisfocussing on microfinance in Bangladesh.During my studies I completed politicalinternships in both Washington DC andCanberra. I have done voluntary work in India, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania,Uganda and Vietnam. Key humanitarianinterests include protection,displacement and refugee issues, and education in emergency settings.Currently working for the Australian aid program, I joined the MIHA course to complement my work experience.

Niamh Dobson Australia

I am a former military officer whorecently joined the UN. A big change! I am now an international civil servantworking for the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).As a new member of staff I felt the needto acquire additional tools to help meoperate in the humanitarian world. This MIHA course addresses key issueswith which I am dealing on a daily basis,particularly in the context of refugees.Previously, I served in the Senegalese Air Force as a helicopter pilot. I speakArabic, French and English fluently.

Alhousseyni Ly Senegal

I have a BA in English Language and Literature from the University ofMosul, Iraq, and diplomas in CampManagement, Protection and GenderStudies. I have more than 10 years’ ofinternational humanitarian experiencewith international non-governmentalhumanitarian organisations, privateconsultancy companies and UnitedNations a gencies. I’ve worked as aprotection and coordination expert in Iraq, Somalia, Jordan, Kenya andLebanon, and am currently deployed to the Syria response operations as aSector Coordinator Expert on Mission.

Dher Ali Hayo Iraq

I’ve been living in South Korea for the past four and half years and amcurrently a self-employed teacherworking in English as a ForeignLanguage (EFL). I studied politics andinternational relations at undergraduatelevel, where I became interested inhumanitarian affairs. After my BA I spent time in Madagascar on avoluntary project, and am now taking theMIHA course in the hope of moving intothe humanitarian sector permanently.I’ve not studied at this level for a whilebut am excited by the challenge, and theopportunities that may come as a result.

Adam Richardson United Kingdom

I am the Reporting Officer for UNHCR in Syria, and have worked in Damascussince May 2011 in status determination,protection and reporting. As a lawyer, Irepresented asylum seekers and refugeesin the UK; and in the European Court ofHuman Rights I was responsible for allinterim measures applications comingfrom the UK and Ireland. Prior to that I was an editor and writer for the legalpublishers LexisNexis Butterworths. My education includes an LLB in Law, an LLM in International Human RightsLaw and a qualification to practice at the Bar of England and Wales.

Natacha John United Kingdom


COVER STORY

of distinguishing between extremistgroups such as ISIS and those whosepositions and agendas can shift withchanging circumstances.

In moving forward with directengagement in support of a settlementcapable of achieving lasting peace thereis much foundational work to be done.First and foremost there is a need tocreate the space and opportunities for the myriad opposition groups tostart dialogue amongst themselves in Syria, and between them and theinternationally-recognised oppositionoutside of the country. For theopposition to be able to articulate acommon stand in future negotiationswith the Assad regime, the agenda fordialogue should be structured aroundsubstantive issues such as the pluralityof rule, political participation and re-distribution of wealth. In other words,the issues that drove people onto thestreets in early 2011, rather than theultimate colour of the future Syrianstate, be it liberal or Islamist. If we areto avoid the bitter experience of Egyptthen whether or not Sharia is the basisof law is not a priority at this stage.

In the immediate term, rather than remain preoccupied with theconventional international response ofelite bargaining and rushed elections asa means of establishing a post-conflictsettlement, the internationalcommunity should encourage theemergence of a more collaborative and locally-rooted format of leadership.There is an acute need for leaders withmoral authority who can articulate theplural agenda of the opposition to the rest of the world while gaining the respect of laypersons on the streetsof Syria. Conscious of the shift in theWest’s public perception towards theconflict, Syrian opposition leaders bothinside and outside the country mustwork together more collaboratively if they are not to miss this window of opportunity.

In short, the internationalcommunity can help by engagingdirectly with the Syrian oppositionbeyond supplying them with weapons,through building their capacity to enterdialogue and negotiations. This is theminimal requirement to prepare fortalks with the Assad regime and itsshrewd foreign policy operatives.Meanwhile, the responsibility lies withthe opposition to agree over a slim,pluralistic and high value agenda thatwould challenge what Assad stood forand offer a fruitful basis for a cohesiveplatform upon which to negotiate. n

< p.1 Inside Syria (continued) Tom LeathersUnited Kingdom

Background in philosophy,politics and economics

I graduated from the University of Yorkwith a BA in Philosophy, Politics andEconomics. My interest in post-warrecovery has two main sources: myChristian faith has led me to appreciatethe significance of forgiveness andreconciliation for peaceful resolutions;and my long-standing ambition of acareer in the Royal Marines has given me a focus on the multifaceted role of the military pre-, during and post-conflict. My particular interests are in civil-military relations and the role of coercion in recovery.

Sayed NajafizadaAfghanistan(OSI/University of YorkScholarship)Background in journalism and history

I completed my BA in History fromBalkh University of Afghanistan in 2009.Since then, I have worked as a journalistfor a number of local and internationalmedia organisations in the country. In late 2011, I started advising a peacedialogue process – mainly focused oncooperation, capacity building andadvocacy programmes – for the Afghan civil society organisations in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif.Here at the PRDU, I hope to develop my theoretical knowledge as well as togain practical skills from the field tripand placement.

Ahmad NaveedAfghanistan(OSI/University of YorkScholarship)Background in politics andinternational relations

I hold an undergraduate degree inPolitics and International Relations.Having completed this degree at theInternational Islamic University inIslamabad, I began to work for theMinistry of Agriculture, Irrigation andLivestock in Afghanistan, as part of acapacity-building project. Prior tojoining PRDU, I was employed by theUSAID High Education Project in Kabul. By choosing to do the MA in Post-warRecovery Studies I hope to become anactive element in the peacebuilding and development of my country.

Timothy BideyUnited Kingdom

Background in English, politics and fundraising

I graduated from the University of York in 2010 with a BA in English andPolitics. I have since spent three yearsworking and volunteering for a numberof charities in the UK, and havedeveloped a particular interest in thecomplexities of how post-war societies‘reckon’ with the past. To date, I’veexplored this passion both throughtravel to Cambodia and three months ofrecent work in Bosnia-Herzegovina, butI hope that my time at the PRDU willnow allow me to thoroughly researchthis issue from both an academic andpractical perspective.

Joana CoutoPortugal

Background in architecture

In 2003 I graduated in Architecture from the Technical University of Lisbon;since then I have worked mostly in theprivate sector. However, a placement inAngola gave me the chance to work indevelopment, on the implementation of the Master-plan for the municipalityof Lubango. Recently, I have followedstand-alone courses in the humanitariansector: Community Participation inEmergency Response (Center forInternational HumanitarianCooperation, Geneva, 2012) and Shelter and Settlements in Disasters(University of Copenhagen, 2012).

Genevieve Davies United Kingdom

Background in internationalrelations and development

I graduated from the University of Leeds in 2013 with a BA in InternationalDevelopment with InternationalRelations. As part of this course I undertook a semester abroad at the University of Ghana, where I alsoworked extensively with an organisationagainst the trafficking and enslavementof women in the West African region. Itwas here I generated a particular interestin post-war processes, particularlytransitional justice mechanisms and the role of women in peace-building. The opportunity to further thisknowledge attracted me to the PRDU.


STUDENT PROFILES 2013–14MA in POST-WAR RECOVERY STUDIES


STUDENT PROFILES 2013–14MA in POST-WAR RECOVERY STUDIES


Michael WilkinsUnited Kingdom

Background in history

After studying History at the Universityof York in 2011, I spent two years workingin the Media and Arts industries. Thisgave me the opportunity to reflect onwhat had particularly interested meduring my degree. I was always drawntowards conflict and development, and I see the PRDU as the perfect chance totransition from a passive observer to anactive protagonist. In preparation for thecourse I worked with the United NationsAssociation in Palestine for three months,and I hope to focus on the Middle East,and the role of collective memory, as theyear progresses.

Hirofumi YoshitakeJapan

Background in communicationand negotiation

After more than seven years workingwithin an electric power company, I cameto York from Japan to make the first steptowards becoming a peacebuildingspecialist. I have accumulated experienceof public communication, procurement,contract negotiation and projectmanagement in developing countries,and this has allowed me to develop highquality communication skills. Though it seems like a drastic career change,communication and negotiation wereimportant themes in my professionalcareer, and I think they are also important elements of peacebuilding.

Danielle ZagarCanada

Background in education

My interest in conflict and peacebuildingbegan with a year-long exchange to thePhilippines, witnessing the effects ofconflict, poverty and inequality, post-revolution. As a high school teacher, I have focused on educational experience in active global citizenship, throughcurriculum development, and projects in rural Kenya and Ghana. My personalinterests are in genocide studies,especially Rwanda and the Holocaust. At the PRDU, I hope to be able to analysethe effects of humanitarian intervention,particularly by contrasting internationalactions with grassroots developments.

Maxine RubinSouth Africa(Commonwealth Scholarship)Background in political studiesand history

Growing up in a society as unequal as South Africa sparked my interest insocial justice and post-conflict studies.After my undergraduate degree inPolitical Studies and History, I went on to study Justice and TransformationHonours at the University of Cape Townin South Africa. I would like to gain adeeper understanding of the practicaldimensions of working at a grassrootslevel, as well as a policy-making level,and chose to enrol on this MA as theprogramme offers a unique opportunityto work with a very diverse group ofpeople in a very hands-on manner.

Judith SweeneyUnited Kingdom

Background in politics and spanish

I graduated from Newcastle Universitywith a BA in Politics with Spanish (2013).I was drawn to subjects that focused onpolitical conflict. My dissertation wasabout the politics of memory, and howstates that have experienced conflictchoose to remember and represent anuncomfortable past through the use ofcultural forms. I am interested in theimportance of cultural heritage, and thepower of art as a tool of expression andcommunication in post-conflict societies,and hope to be able to develop this lineof research, as well as expanding myknowledge on a variety of other issues.

Thomas UllathorneUnited Kingdom

Background in development geography

I have recently completed myundergraduate degree in Geography at Sheffield Hallam University, focusingmy attention on the field of developmentgeography. My interest in conflict and peacebuilding developed whileresearching the underlying causes ofunrest, and how this has shaped andinfluenced contemporary peacekeepingefforts, particularly within Africa, Latin America and Cyprus. The topicaltrend within humanitarian efforts could not be of more interest in a time of current civil and political unrest in many corners of the world.

Diana Osorio VanegasColombia

Background in politics

Before coming to York I worked for acongressman from the Department of San Andres in the design of developmentplans for that island. Why am I studyingfor this MA? My generation, my mother’sand my grandmother’s don’t know whatit is like to live in a country without fear,and we want a better future for thegenerations to come. The Colombianconflict isn’t just a matter for Colombians.Our biodiversity, water resources, coffee,mining, and even the oxygen our junglesproduce are shared with the world. Atthis important time we need more peoplewith experience in post-war recovery.

Hosai Rahim Wardak Afghanistan(OSI/University of YorkScholarship)Background in social science and law

I have a Bachelor’s degree in SocialScience and a certificate in Law from the American University of Afghanistan.During the past few years I’ve worked asa communications officer, gender officer,data analyst, and lead analyst andoperations officer with local andinternational NGOs. I also have lots ofexperience as a volunteer – currently with the World Economic Forum –and a strong background in researchmethodology and conflict analysis. I am excited to explore new approaches,theories and modules that are applicablein post-war societies like Afghanistan.

Simon RandlesUnited Kingdom

Background in law

Having graduated from the University of Reading in 2007 with a degree in law, I spent several years in the field ofcorporate sales before choosing to pursue a more rewarding career withinthe development sector. Last year I worked for six months in the occupiedWest Bank as an intern for a PalestinianNGO which focused on the protection of refugee rights. I chose this MA in Post-war Recovery Studies due its strong emphasis on both theoreticalknowledge and practical skills.


ISSUE 30 n NOVEMBER 2013 revival

PLACEMENT REPORTS 2012–13MA in POST-WAR RECOVERY STUDIES

Working in a ‘forgotten’ land – Malawi’s refugee camp

The refugee situation in Malawi is one of the‘forgotten’ humanitarianchallenges in the world:even though the small,southern African countryhosts more than 16,000

refugees in its only camp, Dzaleka, itrarely features in the world news and the local UNHCR office has the secondsmallest budget in the region. The UNRefugee Agency’s work in Malawiconcentrates on delivering basic servicesusing participatory and community-based approaches and on achievingdurable solutions, including resettlementand repatriation of refugees – who arriveto Malawi mostly from the Great Lakesregion, particularly from Rwanda,Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

My work placement with theProtection Unit focused on threeassignments. For the first five weeks Iassisted in the implementation of a jointGovernment of Malawi/World FoodProgramme/UNHCR housing survey.During this time, my tasks includedfinishing the project proposal, organisingthe logistics, participating in thecoordination meetings, developing thesurvey tools, coordinating the surveyteams and preparing the final report.After that, I had to establish the 2013procurement plan for the office, whichrequired close coordination with theProgramme and the AdministrationUnit. Finally, I took part in theGeographic Information System (GIS)mapping of Dzaleka in my last week,where I had the chance to work togetherwith the refugees, and two specialists –from the Ministry of Land and the WorldFood Programme – in order to producemore than 10 different types of maps.

The most rewarding aspect of thework placement was the fieldwork thatrequired close cooperation with the localauthorities, international organisationsand the refugees themselves. This notonly gave me an insight into theeveryday work of the UNHCR, but alsoallowed me to work with people fromvarious cultures, and made it possible to utilise the knowledge I have acquiredduring my studies. Additionally, I hadthe chance to witness the challenges ofworking in an older refugee camp, whichwas an interesting experience after ourDecember 2012 MA Field Visit to theZa’atari camp in Jordan, which was only five months old at that time. n

Mátyás Juhász Hungary

The PRDU is sincerely grateful to all of the host organisations for their valuable support:

Student Host Organisation Country

Abir Ahmmed Integrity Watch PalestineEd Ball Tier Fund GenevaBen Bartlett Centre for Conflict Resolutions D.R. of CongoJohn Bryant UNOPS DenmarkMatthew Flynn UN-HABITAT EgyptMaisie Geelen UN JordanBeatriz Godoy Non-Violent Peace Force BelgiumIan Gough UNOPS DenmarkTammam Hunedi UNESCWA LebanonAmy Johnson The Asia Foundation NepalMatjas Juhasz UN High Commissioner for Refugees MalawiAbass Kassam Sheikh National Democratic Institute (NDI) KenyaTomohiro Kontani Campaign for Human Rights and Social Transformation NepalBradley Lineker UN Habitat JordanAndika Mais Peacebuilding, Healing and Reconciliation Programme (PHARP) KenyaGeorge Padgett Danish Demining Group South SudanPeggitty Pollard-Davey Search for Common Ground LebanonTabitha Poulter Overseas Development Institute (ODI) UK (London)Ahmad Wali Qaderi CHr. Michelsen Institute NorwayDuncan Riddell Sundur Nepal NepalNick Rowland The Asia Foundation Timor-LesteGhulam Sakhi Institute for International Studies DenmarkLaura Saville Danish Demining Group South SudanAna-Maria Seman UNDP NepalGhulam Sarwar Sultani Liechtenstein Institute of Self Determination, Princeton, New Jersey USAKristine Te Pas Fundación Servicio Juvenil – Programa Bosconia ColombiaShushan Tehwolde-Behran Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program AfganistanMaria Velasco Nolasco Magen David Adom IsraelDanfeng Wang National Rural Support Program PakistanArzhang Yusefi Unicef Afghanistan

Dzaleka camp, Malawi – (top) typical everyday hustle and bustle; (bottom) training of surveyors.



PLACEMENT REPORTS 2012–13MA in POST-WAR RECOVERY STUDIES

My placement consistedof eight weeks with UN-Habitat Palestine/Iraq. I spent four weeks inAmman working as PA to the CountryDirector of Programmes

in both these countries, and anadditional four weeks in Jerusalem as an emergency liaison support for the lead Habitat project manager ofPalestine programmes. My workfocused almost entirely on the Palestine side of Habitat operations.

This experience proved to be an invaluable insight into thequintessential development context, and it also enabled me to see ‘behind thecurtain’ and understand how a technicalUN agency works on the ground.However, it came with its ownassociated challenges. Firstly, I had notechnical expertise in the knowledge-areas in question (notably urbanplanning), so it proved a challenge toquickly get up to speed on the technicalside of things. Secondly, my role wasfreer than most organised internships,so it very much depended upon myown ability to work with, and shape, the opportunities that came my way. The Separation Barrier challenges daily commutes.

Despite the challenges (whichthemselves helped make the overallexperience worthwhile), the placementradically altered my perceptions of the conflict in general, in Jerusalem inparticular, and it led to the beginnings ofmy dissertation (‘Making Live and LettingDie: Power-Knowledge, Biorationality andJerusalem’s Planning and Building Regime’).

Altering my perceptions in Palestine

In 2012 Timor-Leste celebrated a decade ofindependence. Formerly referred to as EastTimor, much of the world knows the territory for its lengthy resistance against Indonesianoccupation. It was a chapter of Timorese historyonly to end amidst regional financial turmoilsome 25 years after the invasion which was

supported by the USA and Australia. Timor-Leste may be acountry which possesses the will and the financial capability – through oil reserves – to confidently look to the future, yet it still suffers from substantial historical legacies.

My placement was with the American INGO, The AsiaFoundation (TAF). The Foundation works across a largenumber of countries in the region, focusing primarily ongovernance, security and justice. I had been tasked through aTAF-LSE (London School of Economics) collaborative projectwith investigating the use of a ‘theory of change’ approach toTAF’s current local governance project. The main output of thisprogramme has been to create a forum for village chiefs to meetregularly together at the District level, in order to act coherentlyunder the one umbrella. Unsurprisingly, only a decade afterestablishing new state institutions akin to that of a well-established, modern, democratic state, Timor-Leste still has the monumental task of closing a significant gap between thecentral state and a village-level society still using customarymeans for decision-making.

Having conducted research in three separate districts, thequalitative data allowed for an assessment on the particulartheory of change used for the programme design. Previous

I was fortunate enough to be given a tour of Habitat programmes inRamallah, Hebron and Bethlehem aswell as a field visit to a string ofthreatened Bedouin settlements on the border of the Green Line and on the edge of the Negev Desert. Workincluded meeting with project staff andother associated partners in Jerusalemand Ramallah, while outputs includedthe planning brief to the proposed ‘State of the Palestinian Cities Report’, aswell as a completed grant applicationfor a proposed one million dollar, EU-funded project in the West Bank(‘Planning Support Programme forThreatened Communities in Area C’).

In all, the challenges of living in the context (for instance, the commuteacross the Separation Barrier wassomething to behold), the technicalknowledge and experience of operatingalongside a UN Agency, the personalrelationships developed, and anintimate introduction to a complexcontext, together made this achallenging and highly worthwhileexperience. n

Bradley Lineker United Kingdom

Investigating local governance project in Timor-Leste

work by the local governance team in Timor-Leste meant a high degree of understanding of the context of village-levelgovernance in the country. It was hugely beneficial for me tohave an in-depth look at the evidence-based discussion arounda limited but successful project in this particular post-conflictsetting. n

Nicholas Rowland United Kingdom

Qualitative data collected by the research was used to assess the project.


WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?MA in POST-WAR RECOVERY STUDIES


Pondering the curious case of the watered-down LogFrame: participatory methods in South Sudan

Those familiar with the work of the PRDU will know it has a richpedigree in designing and evaluating participatory and community-driven approaches to recovery and development programmes. This was not something which interested me in any way whilst I was a student there; it all seemed rather ‘fluffy’ at the time. But less than ayear from graduating I found myself working with the Danish RefugeeCouncil (DRC) as a Project Manager of the World Bank’s new

Community Driven Development (CDD) Programme, eloquently titled the ‘Local Governance and Service Delivery Programme’. The central idea of the Programmewas to strengthen the link between the local government and communities byproviding cash to the former to fundprojects identified, designed and overseenby a community-elected CommunityDevelopment Committee (CDC).

Whilst not pure CDD, the participatorycredential of having a CDC design andoversee projects they have selected wascertainly sound. Yet this being SouthSudan, the CDCs in question had someproblems with literacy, and when theWorld Bank required us to provide a fullLogFrame within a community-writtenproposal, it was without doubt a majorproblem. All alumni of the PRDU willremember the ‘LogFrame Week’ with acertain degree of trepidation, and I wasquite happy that I’d avoided having to go near one in my first year with DRC.But now I was expected to find a way ofteaching 19 CDC members how to do thevery same, all the while my HQ insisting that whatever I do “don’t upset the Bank”!Over the next month we managed to achieve what originally seemed impossible.Through a careful blend of ‘streamlining’ and copying and pasting, we got ourproposals approved. There have been many times in the last two years where I havebeen grateful for the skills the PRDU course gave me, but by far this was the mostgrateful I’d been ... to date. n

Tom Dawes United Kingdom

Working on Jordan’s development challenges

After graduating from the PRDU in 2012, I haveworked as a DevelopmentAnalyst with To ExcelConsulting Associates, aJordanian socio-economicconsultancy company

based in Amman. To Excel carries outresearch, analysis and project evaluationstudies commissioned by developmententities such as UN agencies, donors and NGOs. The nature of the type ofdevelopment projects supported by To Excel is wide ranging, from those thatfocus on building the capacity of localgovernment ministries to improveworking conditions, to studies on tradeand investment levels in Jordan, to rapidassessments of child labour. However, allwork shares the objective of supportingmore effective development policy inJordan and the Middle East region, eitherdirectly (e.g. through needs/situationassessments) or indirectly (e.g. throughend of project evaluations).

Working in development consultancyhas allowed me to build on the PRDUMA Masters course and broaden myunderstanding of the wider internationaldevelopment context. In particular I havebeen able to gain an appreciation of howthe development agendas of leadingstates are pursued in the Middle Eastthrough a mix of strategically fundingprojects implemented by UN and NGOentities on one hand, and on the otherthrough procuring complementaryresearch and analysis services fromprivate sector consultants.

Working in Jordan has also providedinsights into the interaction betweenemergency and long-term humanitarianand development challenges, with theSyrian conflict and its refugees bothposing a severe humanitarian challengein Jordan and exacerbating Jordan’s long-standing development challenges, such as access to resources, jobs and affordableconsumer goods. In this context, it hasbeen interesting to observe, and beinvolved with, an operational shift infocus towards supporting Jordaniandevelopment needs, even as assistingSyrian refugees remains a paramountinternational concern. n

John Skelton United Kingdom Veterinary treatment, Ministry of Livestock, Somaliland.

Armed with the knowledge and experience whichthey have gained on the MA in Post-war RecoveryStudies, many graduates go into humanitarian-related jobs, often gaining employment as a result of their placement performances. Here are updatesfrom four graduands of the MA class of 2011/12.

Participatory Planning Session with Andari CommunityDevelopment Committee, South Sudan, facilitated by the Danish Refugee Council.


WHERE ARE THEY NOW ? IN MEMORIAMMA in POST-WAR RECOVERY STUDIES


Helping to improve education and livelihoods in Somalia

Based in Nairobi, the initial months after finishing my MA were spent coordinating an emergency primary education programme in 53 schools in the IDP camps of Mogadishu for the British-based NGO‘Human Relief Foundation’. Running this project opened the doors,not only to travel to Somalia – an opportunity which cannot be over-rated in a context characterised by insecurity and uncertainty – but ultimately to a full-time consultancy contract with the UN

Human Settlements Programme. For the past 10 months I have been assisting withthe programme management and coordination of a UN-Habitat-led programmeaimed at improving basic urban services and generating employment opportunitiesfor vulnerable urban communities in Mogadishu. Project activities range fromestablishing a sustainable solid waste management system, to creating interim laws for the protection of employment rights, to building a technical centre andlaboratory for the quality testing of drinking water and construction materials. The project is run through a close partnership with the local administration of the Benadir region – a relationship which has been an incredible eye-opener both to the internal politics of the country but also to the lives of its people.

Although security restrictions and bureaucratic rabbit-holes can be incrediblyfrustrating at times, the range of experiences I have managed to gain, both at thegovernment and grass-roots level, over my short time working in Somalia have been undeniably life-changing. The knowledge and expertise gained on my Masterscourse have been a massive asset to my work and I find myself referring back to lectures and discussions from my time in PRDU on an almost daily basis. n

Clare Sadd United Kingdom

I’ve been working forRelief International (RI) as a Program Associatewith their BiosecurityEngagement Program(BEP). The TechnicalDirector and I are based in

RI’s London office, with significant travelto our programme countries. Fittingunder RI’s ‘One Health’ umbrella, thisprogramme combines the disciplines ofhuman, veterinary and environmentalhealth to reduce the spread of diseasespassed between animals and humans.Since two thirds of emerging diseasesaffecting humans originate with animals,we work with community animal healthworkers, schools and civil societyorganisations, research institutions, andwithin governments, to integrate oursystems with existing federal efforts. Our countries of impact combine fragile

One of 53 schools in the IDP camps of Mogadishu which benefitted from the emergency primary education programme.

and conflict-affected states, where thepoorest and most vulnerable have ahigh reliance on livestock. In the nextyear we will be expanding our efforts to include Bangladesh, Nepal,Afghanistan and Libya.

Every day I use the conflict analysis,programme management andevaluation training which we learnedduring the MA in Post-war RecoveryStudies. I work across three regions, so I have to have a good understandingof the context within each country.Direct attacks on Western aid workers,especially kidnappings, is a high risk inall my programme countries, bringingfrustration when it comes to travellingto field sites. I always request hotelrooms on the second floor, so thesecurity training stuck! n

Laura Simpson United Kingdom

Fighting zoonosis in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen

Barbara De Anna1975–2013

On 24 May 2013, the Shar-e-Naw districtof Kabul was rocked by a wave ofexplosions and gunfire. This Talibanattack lasted for several hours untilAfghan security forces managed torestore order. It was concentrated on an area of the capital populated withhospitals, Afghan police units, hotelsserving the non-Afghan community, and the headquarters of internationalorganisations.

Tragically, Barbara De Anna, a formerPRDU MA student (2007/08) lost her life due to injuries sustained during theattack, which also claimed the lives of anAfghan police officer and three Afghancivilians, including a six-year old child(as well as the six attackers). Fourteenothers were injured. Barbara, who was in the IOM (International Organizationfor Migration) compound at the time,suffered serious burns, and althoughinitially treated in a local hospital, shewas evacuated to a specialist hospital inGermany. She remained in a coma anddied there some weeks later, on 20 June.

Barbara had been working with IOMAfghanistan since April 2010. At the timeof the attack, she was a project officerresponsible for training some 600 staffworking for the Ministry of Refugeesand Repatriation (MORR) in officesthroughout Afghanistan. The trainingwas designed to build the capacity of the MORR in order to help thousands ofvulnerable internally-displaced peopleand recent returnees from neighbouringcountries – mainly Iran and Pakistan.

As well as her work in Afghanistan,Barbara was widely respected for herextensive field experience with UNDP in Honduras, UNMIL in Liberia, UNMITin East Timor and UNHCR in Jordan.She spent her life trying to improve the lives of the poorest and mostmarginalised people, doing a job that she loved. Her friends and colleagueswill always remember her love of life,humanity and ever-present smile. n



PublicationsConflict, Security and Development(Vol 13, No 3, 1 July 2013, pp. 259-283)“Conflict analysis for the twenty-first century”Sultan Barakat and Tom Waldman

Approaches to conflict assessment remain stuck inthe late 1990s. Methodological tools areoverwhelmingly geared toward development actors.Significant policy evolution over the last decade,along with progress in research on conflict andinstability, powerfully suggests the need for analyticaltools that are both truly joint and capable ofembracing all major aspects of conflict causation anddrivers of state fragility. Based on a review conductedfor DFID and taking the UK as a case in point, thisarticle outlines the key issues, challenges andrequirements involved in operationalising genuinelyjoint analysis. There are positive signs that the UKgovernment is serious about its commitment tointegrated approaches in conflict-affected and fragilestates, as demonstrated by development of the newJoint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS).

Conflict, Security and Development(Vol 13, No 3, July 2013) “Conflict analysis for the twenty-first century” (pp.259–283)Sultan Barakat and Tom Waldman

Approaches to conflict assessment remain stuck in the late 1990s. Methodological tools areoverwhelmingly geared toward development actors.Significant policy evolution over the last decade,along with progress in research on conflict andinstability, powerfully suggests the need for analyticaltools that are both truly joint and capable ofembracing all major aspects of conflict causationand drivers of state fragility. Based on a reviewconducted for DFID, and taking the UK as a case in point, this article outlines the key issues,challenges and requirements involved inoperationalising genuinely joint analysis.

Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding (May 2013)“Fragile States: A Donor-servingConcept? Issues withInterpretations of FragileStatehood in Afghanistan”Sultan Barakat & Anna Larson

Current conceptions and models of fragile statehoodin conflict-affected contexts can serve the purposesof international donor governments over and abovereconstruction and statebuilding. The fragile stateconcept is widely utilised by donors to oversimplifyanalysis of complex political environments, leading to inadequate bureaucratic responses. Also, currentmodels of fragile statehood are unable to capturecontextual or temporal dynamics, and invariably omit the contribution of international intervention to entrenching fragility. This article calls for a more nuanced approach to fragility and greateracknowledgement of the role donor governments can play in its entrenchment.

OUR VISION IS TO EXCEL AS A WORLD-CLASS CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND POST-GRADUATE EDUCATION THAT LINKS THEORY TO PRACTICE FOR THE ENABLEMENT ANDDEVELOPMENT OF WAR-AFFECTED SOCIETIES.

OUR RESEARCH AGENDA ISSHAPED BY FIVE UNDERLYING COMMITMENTSTHAT INFORM OUR WORK ON CONFLICT ANDPOST-WAR RECOVERY (TRANSITIONS). IT IS:

PROBLEM-FOCUSED, COMBINING STATE-OF-THE-ART CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS WITHEMPIRICALLY GROUNDED RESEARCH;

DIVERSE IN ITS THEORIES, METHODS ANDSUBJECTS OF STUDY;

OPEN TO INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES;

INTERNATIONAL IN ITS CONCEPTION OF THESUBJECT, DISSEMINATION, ACADEMICINFLUENCE AND POLICY IMPACT;

EMBRACING THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE, USER ENGAGEMENTAND THE DISSEMINATION OF OUR WORK TONON-ACADEMIC AUDIENCES.

ISSN 1355-9966

DIRECTORPROFESSOR SULTAN BARAKATBSc MA DPhil FICDDS

TEACHING FACULTYROB AITKEN BSc MSc PhDKENNETH BUSH MA MA PhDNINA CASPERSEN BSc MSc PhDDAVID CONNOLLY BA MA PhDFRANK HARDMAN BA MA PhDAUDRA MITCHELL BAH PhDDANNY SINGH MACLAIRE SMITH BA MIA PhD

RESEARCH FELLOWSKATHRYN RZESZUT BA MATHOMAS WALDMAN BA MA MRes PhD

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSPETER HALLS BSc FGSBRADLEY LINEKER BA MASANSOM MILTON BA MAJULIA SMITH BA MAANDREA VARISCO BSc MA MA

ADMINISTRATIONSALLY CLARK EMMA PIERCY

EDITOR OF REVIVALGAVIN WARD

PRDU INFORMATIONRECENT PUBLICATIONS


THE UNIVERSITY OF YORKDERWENT COLLEGE, YORK YO10 5DD, UK+(44) 1904 322640+(44) 1904 [email protected]/prdu

Post-war Reconstruction & Development Unit (PRDU)

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The Journal of Peacebuilding and Development (Vol 8, No 2, 2013)Special Issue on “Evaluation in Violently Divided Societies – Politics, Ethics & Methods”Guest Editors:

Kenneth Bush and Colleen Duggan Includes their chapter “Evaluation In Conflict Zones:Methodological and Ethical Challenges”.

Evaluation and research in the service ofpeacebuilding and development is a complexenterprise. Theories of change and assumptionsabout how peace and development work are oftenunarticulated or untested. We suggest that theinternational aid community, researchers andpractitioners need to think more deeply andsystematically about the role of evaluation inincreasing the efficacy of projects and programmes inviolently divided societies. This belief underpins andmotivates the articles contained in this special issue.

Winning the Peace or Playing at Development?Interrogating the Utility of Sport in Post-ConflictPeacebuildingJohn Skelton

PRDU Working Paper Series – No.6 – October 2013{PRDU/The University of York, 28pp,ISSN 2049-5064 (Online)}

Recently there has been an upsurge of interestamong agents of liberal peacebuilding in the role of sport in peacebuilding processes. However, the wide-ranging claims concerning sport’s peacebuildingutility as articulated by proponents of the so-called‘sport for development and peace’ (SDP) sector haveescaped rigorous empirical research. Focusing onLebanon, this piece draws on social capital and civilsociety peacebuilding theory to critically examine key suppositions of sport-based peacebuilding.

The paper can be downloaded from the PRDU website at the following address:www.york.ac.uk/prdu/publications/working paper

Contemporary Politics (19:2, 2013)“The Politics of Post-ConflictSpace: The Mysterious Case ofMissing Graffiti in ‘Post-Troubles’Northern Ireland” pp.165–186Kenneth Bush

Why is there so little graffiti in Northern Ireland (NI)compared to cities in North America and Europe?The question is perplexing given the highly developedpolitical mural tradition on both sides of the sectariandivide in NI. This paper explores the connectionsbetween the absence of graffiti and the street-levelstructures and processes of reconciliation or conflict.The paper highlights the importance of graffiti as alens for assessing the degree to which the expectedbenefits of a peace agreement are experienced at thestreet level; addresses the methodological challengeof how to examine something that is not there; andquestions the well-marketed representation of NI as a case of successful post-agreement peace.


Engaging the Opposition Inside Syria

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Transcript of Engaging the Opposition Inside Syria