Mamoon Khawar

Research

Title of Research:

Understanding the Role of Warlords in Post-War State-Building: The Role of Warlords in Afghanistan's Post-2001 State-Building Process.

Brief overview of research topic:

While effective state institutions are required for service delivery in post-war countries, such institutions and governance systems are not always effective in their primary functions of providing security and basic services to their population on their own. I am studying the argument that governance functions and procedures in such societies do not have to be based on liberal approaches to public administration and governance creation, as they are in some post-war states; illiberal approaches to governance building may be more effective in carrying out post-war reconstruction operations. While I am opposed to warlord engagement in state-building and governance systems in my research, I have been intrigued by the concept of illiberal governance approaches in hybrid political contexts. As such I plan to research hybrid governance and political systems in post-war countries, where informal authorities such as warlords may arise as a result of previous political histories and societal structures. In addition, I will explore how informal authorities in challenging post-war settings might increase social inequality and governance concerns via neo-patrimonial networks. Nonetheless, they may utilise their social, political, financial, and military resources to improve state-society relations, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, and overall government effectiveness.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

Master of Public Administration - International Development (University of York)

Master of International Relations (University of York)