On conflict and peacebuilding in African states

War-prone countries won't simply elect their way to peace and stability

I: Thinking clearly about causes of conflict and how to end them

Last week I came across an RfA from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) that neatly sums up the international community’s mistaken understanding of the causes of conflict in African states and how to end them. The RfA was not specific to Africa as a region, but the point stands:

This Request for Applications (RfA) seeks research that develops innovative methods to improve peacebuilding practice through the study and application of democracy and human rights training in conflict zones worldwide. Priority will be given to applications which identify the factors impacting human rights education, outreach, and practice in fostering democratic values globally and the critical role they play in preventing and resolving violent conflict.

After decades of progress in the post-World War 2 world order, global democracy levels in the 21st century are in stark decline. Authoritarian regimes have newfound political and economic…