Post-war Development in Asia and Africa

1-3 September 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Call for papers The 13th Annual Symposium of the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), Sri Lanka, organised in collaboration with the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC), aims to generate evidence led dialogue around processes of post-war development in Asia and Africa. About the Symposium Africa and Asia have witnessed the most intense and protracted armed conflicts over the past several decades. Wars and armed conflicts in the two regions, whether centred on issues like ethnic-religious nationalisms or natural resources and commodities, are inter-twined with many other complex issues. These include histories of colonial exploitation and underdevelopment, contested postcolonial nation building, structural adjustment, democratic deficits, high levels of debt and poverty, and divergent histories and presents of integration into the global economic system. While it cannot be gainsaid therefore that countries recuperating from war and conflict in Asia and Africa do so under differing and unique conditions, many of the challenges they face are not particularly unique. These include new constitutional and political arrangements, rebuilding the economy and securing livelihoods, repairing the social fabric, restoring rule of law, building civil society, and installing mechanisms for reconciliation and transitional justice, managing the commons and natural resources, among others. Further, the manner in which countries in Asia and Africa recovering from conflict are tied into grids of regional and global political and economic power generate additional contingencies. Particularly relevant in this regard are the engagement of global institutions and mechanisms, especially of the United Nations, pertaining to humanitarian assistance, development, conflict resolution and intervention, peacekeeping, human rights and justice. The symposium approaches the question of post- war/conflict development policy as encompassing distinctive goals and processes but addressing two overarching, inter-related, and equally important imperatives. These include addressing questions of distributive justice, economic reconstruction, and sustainable and inclusive growth on the one hand, and ensuring political inclusion, democratic participation, social cohesion, and rule of law, on the other.

The symposium is envisaged as a multi-disciplinary and multi-stake holder forum that aims to examine trends, differences, special cases and best practices with the objective of a) enabling learning and dialogue between post-war polities, and b) informing and rendering post-war development policies and practice more evidence based and relevant. The symposium will also allow the SLRC to share outputs with, and receive critical feedback from, a range of different actors. This in turn will support the development of research and knowledge to guide post-war/conflict economic and social development policies, especially in the global South. Structure and Issues/Themes for Discussion The discussion at the three-day symposium will be organised around two streams with panels and debates alternating between streams. Papers are invited that address themes and issues relevant to the two streams. Stream 1 (S1): This will focus on questions of distributive justice, economic reconstruction, and sustainable and inclusive growth and will include (but not be limited to) the following policy areas: Social protection, welfare and poverty reduction Livelihoods and employment Basic services/entitlements: health & nutrition, education, housing, roads Resource entitlementsland, water, fishing, forests, etc. Climate change and disaster resilience Gender equality and non-discrimination, Minorities and vulnerable groups (IDPs, women & female-headed households, youth, ex-combatants, etc.) Macroeconomic policy Foreign Aid/Investment

Stream 2 (S2): This will focus on questions of political inclusion, democratic participation, social cohesion, and rule of law and will include (but not be limited to) the following policy areas: Democratic governance, political participation, and peoples agency Rule of law and access to justice Credible and inclusive state institutions Social cohesion and pluralism Rights, identity and power inclusions and exclusions Political representation of women and minorities Strengthening civil society Non-discrimination and equality Conflict Sensitive Development Managing the commons

The above lists are only indicative and by no means exhaustive. Papers that explore the challenges of researching the above and related areas in post-

war/conflict countries are also welcome. The two streams are intended to sign post the discussion and are by no means exclusive and the panels will alternate between streams to further ensure that the two streams are not discussed as mutually exclusive. We encourage papers from scholars, researchers, practitioners, and activists from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, policy orientations and institutional locales. Guidelines for papers and key dates Abstracts for research papers must be submitted by email (symposium@cepa.lk) to reach us no later than 30th April 2014. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be informed no later than 10th May 2014. Authors will need to submit full-length draft papers no later than 15th August 2014 and be prepared to present their papers at the Symposium to be held in Sri Lanka between the 1st to the 3rd September 2014. Limited support for travel and participation maybe available, but authors are encouraged to look for their own funding to attend. Participation at the Symposium is by invitation only. Please watch the CEPA website (www.cepa.lk) for more details or contact symposium@cepa.lk for more information.