After the Conflict Reconstructions & Redevelopment in the Af

What have been the experiences and lessons learned from reconstruction activities which have followed wars over the past ten years? With recent events both in Afghanistan and Iraq and frequent talk of on-going conflicts, this question has preoccupied politicians, aid donors and the media as never before. "After the Conflict" draws together the main issues and arguments on the subject into a single volume emanating from the University of York's Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU), renowned as the world's leading research centre dedicated to the study of the aftermath of war. Examining case studies from war and post-war reconstruction scenarios around the world. This book sets out a philosophy of reconstruction that has emerged from extensive original research at PRDU. This has concluded that solutions to successful post-war reconstruction needs are to be found locally, within the communities affected by conflict and that therein lies the best hope of achieving lasting, sustainable outcomes. Solutions imposed from outside, however well-meaning the intervention, rarely take adequate account of cultural, social and economic conditions prevailing on -site, and invariably fail. Other key insights include the need to understand the root causes of different conflicts and the importance of fully integrated approaches, which harness the skills of a broad range of professional disciplines. Since its establishment, the PRDU has accumulated considerable institutional knowledge, experience and expertise in this specialist area. "After the Conflict" includes contributions from key individuals associated with the PRDU and those who have influenced the debates on recovery issues. It will prove an invaluable resource for students of post-war recovery, conflict studies, development economics as well as to academics, practitioners, aid managers and policy makers. How can societies that have been devastated by conflict be successfully reconstructed? In these troubled times, this question has preoccupied politicians, aid organisations and the media. Yet confusion still exists as to what post-war reconstruction is about and there is frequent fragmentation and wasted effort on the ground.