International Library of Post-War Reconstruction and Development – serie

In the decade since the signing of the Ottawa Treaty, which banned the production and use of anti-personnel mines, governments have spent over $3 billion on clearing up and mitigating the security threat of mines, cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance in the world's current and former war zones. However, this flow of cash into regions dominated by violent social structures raises numerous political issues. Through detailed archival and field research, this book explores the politics behind the allocation and implementation of foreign aid by the US and Norway for demining in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Sudan. It is an essential resource for practitioners and policymakers working in the field of landmine clearance and for students and researchers of Development Studies and post-war reconstruction.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon refer to themselves as 'the forgotten people'. Sixty years on, tens of thousands still live in temporary shelters, in overcrowded unsanitary camps where unemployment and poverty levels are high. Denied basic human rights, they are neglected by the humanitarian community, ignored by the international media. This pioneering book explores the experiences of the oldest and largest single refugee group in the world. Drawing upon comprehensive research in the twelve official refugee camps in Lebanon, the author examines the impact of protracted refugee status on the coping mechanisms developed by refugees. She identifies the lessons to be learned from the refugee experience in Lebanon and and the implications for other refugee groups in different parts of the world. Palestinians in Lebanon provides a long overdue account of one of the most neglected refugee communities in the world.

Natural disasters have a profound impact upon the societies they affect but one important aspect that has yet to receive attention is how the relationship between state and society is affected in the aftermath of such events. How the state responds to such events can generate powerful forces within society for political, economic and social change.

DDR is an essential compnent of international peacebuilding schemes. This title is the first appraisal of its effectiveness in a variety of international contexts. It draws out lessons to be learned.In countries affected by war, the cessation of hostilities inevitably produces a large number of demobilised combatants, most of them lacking any basic means of support or livelihood. The failure to respond to the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of such former combatants can cause high levels of insecurity, at worst a resumption of armed conflict. Accordingly DDR is now a regular component of post-conflict reconstruction efforts around the world. Postwar Recovery provides a unique study of DDR in action. Drawing upon the experience of four major war-torn societies - Afghanistan, Kosovo, El Salvador and Sierra Leone - the author provides the first comparative analysis of DDR, exploring the planning, implementation and effectiveness of DDR in each country. In a final chapter, the author draws out the lessons to be learned.