Why political settlements matter, Journal of International development special issue event launch

Journal of International development special issue event launch

Navigating political settlements – understood as common understandings or agreements, usually among elites, about how resources are distributed and power is exercised – is at the heart of international development efforts to promote more peaceful and inclusive states and societies.

The Journal of International Development special issue on political settlements – edited collaboratively by Alina Rocha Menocal (Developmental Leadership Program at the University of Birmingham, ODI) and Jan Pospisil (Political Settlements Research Programme at the University of Edinburgh) – showcases the current research dealing with this concept. This special issue brings together a collection of theoretical and empirical contributions that engage critically with the political settlement concept and the question of how to navigate inclusion, with a focus on underlying politics, power and institutional dynamics, and how these influence trajectories of change.

Some of the questions the special issue seeks to address include: what are political settlements? How can political settlements help to better understand processes of state formation, evolving state-society relations, and patterns of inclusion and exclusion? How can a political settlements approach enable international actors to engage more effectively in efforts to foster more peaceful, resilient, and inclusive states?

The panel will include the editors of the special issue and will feature presentations of findings from some of the contributors. This will be followed by an open discussion between the panel and stakeholders from academia and policy on the challenges and implications of these findings. A full list of panelists can be found below.

Join us from 9:30 – 10:00am on 5th October for tea and coffee, followed by a panel discussion from 10:00 – 11:30am.

To register for this event, please RSVP to pogoevent@odi.org.uk with your name and the title of the event.

Speakers:

Introduction: Jan Pospisil, Political Settlements Research Programme (PSRP)

Chair:  Heather Marquette, Developmental Leadership Program (DLP), University of Birmingham

Speakers:

Alina Rocha Menocal, ODI and DLP

Christine Bell, PSRP

Diana Cammack, ODI

Andy Carl, peacebuilding practitioner

Charlotte Morris, DFID