Post Conflict Contexts for Rigorous Political Economy Analysis and for Advocacy of Sustainable Reconstruction

Following the recent events in the MENA region, and after seven years since the eruption of the Arab Spring and the consequent flaring up of destructive civil wars in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, there is an emerging consensus by the international community and leading countries of the region alike on the need to urgently find settlements for these conflicts. The negative externalities associated with these conflicts have started to cause serious consequences for major global powers, most notably those emanating from the refugee crisis, the looming existence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and the spread of its influence to Libya as well as the geopolitical tensions between Iran and many Arab countries. Therefore, research on post-conflict transition agenda is both timely and highly relevant to development policy in the region, especially for the four conflictive countries but also for indirectly affected but the conflicts in their neighboring countries as well as many others that continue to experience episodes of low level violence and terrorism. Building on ongoing work that ERF is carrying out in the context of two different thematic research agendas, ERF will embark on the fully-fledged program on Conflict, Peace building and Post Conflict Transition.

Under this program, four main areas are studied: conflict, national peace building and post conflict transition in War afflicted Arab countries; Foundations for Post Conflict Growth Agenda; The Micro-Level Analysis of the Impact of Violent Conflict on Lives and Livelihoods in the MENA Region; and Economic Interdependency and Conflict.

ERF acknowledges the generous financial contribution of the Ford Foundation (FF).