Fixing Failed States: A Framework for Rebuilding a Fractured World

Ashraf Ghani · Clare Lockhart

Oct 2009 · Oxford University Press

About this ebook

Today between forty and sixty nations, home to more than one billion people, have either collapsed or are teetering on the brink of failure. The world's worst problems--terrorism, drugs and human trafficking, absolute poverty, ethnic conflict, disease, genocide--originate in such states, and the international community has devoted billions of dollars to solving the problem. Yet by and large the effort has not succeeded. Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart have taken an active part in the effort to save failed states for many years, serving as World Bank officials, as advisers to the UN, and as high-level participants in the new government of Afghanistan. In Fixing Failed States, they describe the issue--vividly and convincingly--offering an on-the-ground picture of why past efforts have not worked and advancing a groundbreaking new solution to this most pressing of global crises. For the paperback edition, they have added a new preface that addresses the continuing crisis in light of ongoing governance problems in weak states like Afghanistan and the global financial recession. As they explain, many of these countries already have the resources they need, if only we knew how to connect them to global knowledge and put them to work in the right way. Their state-building strategy, which assigns responsibility equally among the international community, national leaders, and citizens, maps out a clear path to political and economic stability. The authors provide a practical framework for achieving these ends, supporting their case with first-hand examples of struggling territories such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Kosovo and Nepal as well as the world's success stories--Singapore, Ireland, and even the American South.

Ratings and reviews

Fixing Failed States made me feel how all universities need some major work towards educating students into International Development. I like the authors' views about how to acknowledge other countries before giving aid, however, I would like to see more insite in finance. It would be good to see a blend of financial technicalities with this book.

This is one of the best book i ever read about developing countries, specifically about post conflict countries. Mr. Ghani's solutions come from his own personal experience not only as Finance Minister of Afghanistan (2002-2004) but also his first hand experience in the rest of the world such as southeast Asia,Russia,Sudan, etc. This is a great book to read if you want to learn from someone who is not just talking theory but had hands on experience and become known as the Best Finance Minister of Asia in 2003. His plans such as National Solidarity Program in Afghanistan is being pointed as a model for the rest of the developing countries by the World Bank President, Robert Zoellick. He is the first one who criticized The United Nations as well as World Bank and IMF for their "outdated" policies toward developing countries.

Have very big collection of books

About the author

Ashraf Ghani played a central role in the design and implementation of the post-Taliban settlement in Afghanistan, serving as UN adviser to the Bonn process and as Finance Minister during Afghanistan's Transitional Administration. He has worked at the World Bank and taught at Johns Hopkins and Berkeley universities. He has been nominated for the job of Secretary General of the United Nations and considered for the job of President of the World Bank. He chairs the Institute for State Effectiveness. Clare Lockhart is co-founder and director of the Institute for State Effectiveness, established in 2007 to advise leaders on transformation of countries from instability to stability. From 2001 to 2005, she lived and worked in Afghanistan, first as a member of the UN negotiation team and then advising the Afghan Government, leading design of several national initiatives. She now advises leaders on a range of countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. She was educated at Oxford, Harvard and is a member of the Bar of England and Wales.