Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world

Past Event
Seminar

'Failed States' and Development Aid: The Impact of Labels in Global Interventionism

Open to the Public

Talk of "failed states" became pervasive after the Cold War not only among strategic planners and international relations scholars, but also in the literature on development aid. The concept brought together two epistemic and policy communities that were never too far apart—development and security. But how does the label of "failure" become attached to particular states, and what are its implications for a country's interaction with the West? Using the case study of Guinea-Bissau, this presentation looks at how and why these representations are produced and sustained, as well as the consequences specifically for the development field.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

Date: Time: - Location: Rubenstein Building - Room 415
Guinea-Bissau's Presidential Palace after the country's civil war.

About

Talk of "failed states" became pervasive after the Cold War not only among strategic planners and international relations scholars, but also in the literature on development aid. The concept brought together two epistemic and policy communities that were never too far apart—development and security. Representations of "failure" have been consistently linked with aid ineffectiveness, on the one hand, and global instability, on the other, producing a common frame through which developing countries are evaluated and intervention is shaped. But how does the label of "failure" become attached to particular states, and what are its implications for a country's interaction with the West? Using the case study of Guinea-Bissau, this presentation looks at how and why these representations are produced and sustained, as well as the consequences specifically for the development field.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.