15374

WiSe 17/18: Statebuilding and Security Sector Reform in the Global South

Markus Hochmüller

Comments

Since the end of the Cold War, statebuilding has become a crucial component of (Western) intervention in post-authoritarian and post-conflict countries. This seminar introduces the students to the debate on statebuilding in the Global South with a particular emphasis on security sector reform (SSR). In the first part, the seminar focuses on the rationale of international statebuilding. The historical evolution of statebuilding will be discussed, and key concepts that have defined statebuilding at different stages - from liberal peace and good governance to fragile statehood and resilience - will be introduced. The students engage with both, theoretical and normative questions as well as the practical perspective of statebuilders. The second part of the seminar examines the role of SSR in statebuilding interventions. Based on concrete examples of SSR in Africa, Asia and Latin America, we will discuss the relation between security and development, SSR's normative underpinnings as well as its potentials and flaws, the implications of enhanced South-South cooperation in SSR and the introduction of bottom-up reform approaches that complement top-down institution-building. close