Re-building Structures: State, Nation, Society

Re-building Structures is the second of the In the Wake of War series of workshops, hosted by the Cambridge PCPC Group. This workshop will explore the frameworks, discourses and practices that have emerged in rebuilding in the wake of war.

There is a coexistence of terms: nation-building, state-building, capacity building, peace-building, stabilization, and counter-insurgency. Yet, society seems to fall out of the picture. What is the meaning and reality of these terms in post-conflict situations? How can international intervention build societies abroad? What is the relationship between a coherent sense of nationhood and the organisation of state structures? What are the interrelations between hard and soft issues i.e. economic and political issues versus gender and cultural issues?

Following the workshop, a short briefing paper will be drafted, outlining the discussions to include: the essential frames of reference, the key issues and questions, the lessons learned, and any recommendations put forward.

Structure of the workshop:

• Speakers will be asked to speak for 20 minutes illustrating their arguments with reference to specific case studies.
• All participants will be invited to submit suggestions for ‘key issues’ or ‘key questions’ which they feel to be relevant to the topic.
• The respondent will use both the presentations and the participants’ suggestions to highlight key cross-cutting issues at stake on which the discussion should be focused.