Hello to all of you in the academic and policy worlds with an interest in post-conflict state-building,

Our goal here is firstly to establish stronger lines of communication between scholars studying issues connected to post-conflict state-building. Secondly we aim to link the findings of academic research more directly and accessibly to those who design and implement programs. Our approach has been developed through two workshops (more are on the way), “Why State-Building” and “Post-Conflict State-Building: The Academic Research.” The reports on the workshops will give you a sense of our discussion so far, and we are eager to hear your thoughts on how this site and the larger project should develop. You can add comments to this post, or write to any of our staff.

On our site, statesandsecurity.org, we have some useful pieces in place. First, there is a searchable database of younger scholars who work in the field. You can find people here who work on the same aspects of problems of post-conflict state-building as you here, and by clicking on their names, access their contact information. The database is by no means complete, so if you know of others that should be included, please tell them to write to us. On the site, you can also find summaries of scholars’ latest research projects (and please do submit your own), links to other research resources, a few working papers, and documents of two more very informative workshops, “Inside-Out: The Sierra Leone Experience with Post-Conflict State Restoration” and “State Failure: Reframing the International Economic and Political Agenda.”
Furthermore, we are developing an online forum for researchers, policymakers, and others to share works in progress and research findings, while also working collaboratively on the myriad problems generated by complex dynamics of conflict and state-building. Finally, this blog will provide a forum for discussing new materials on the site, informing you of new events and resources relevant to the field, and for you to open questions of your own.