Through A Glass Darkly: From Disaster Relief to Modern Peacekeeping

The themes of Part I of this new collection run the gauntlet from disaster relief to aspects of modern peacebuilding. The initial chapter delineates a framework for much of the subsequent analysis and definition. Three leading issues are then explored: the changing face of sovereignty, the values and motivations that drive the various UN peacekeeping partners, and key economic influences that impact on and after complex disasters. The fifth chapter focuses on the nuances of aid and development negotiations, while the section concludes with a case study on the International Red Cross and Red Crescent. Part II concentrates on aspects of capacity building before, during and after crises. What lessons are really being learned, who decides and how? Cases are drawn from a number of regions (including parts of Africa, Eastern Europe and South East Asia). Among institutional features explored are examples from the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, the Ghanaian Institute for Management and Public Institution, the Government of Zimbabwe and several university partnership projects. In Part III, the Shapes of Lessons Past and Contours of Future Trends are speculated upon. The real war ahead, it is argued, is not so much against terrorism, serious symptom though that be, but against poverty and greed within and between nations. This book blends conceptual frameworks with case studies and operational insights that make it a welcome teaching resource, as well as a stimulating analysis of many current policy challenges.