Volume 1 issue 1 April 2013
The Failed State and Failed State-Building: How Can a Move Away From the Failed State Discourse Inform Development in Somalia?
Max Byrne
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Somalia
has entered the world’s imagination as the archetypal failed state; when
thinking of states that have ‘failed’, it is most likely that Somalia will be
first to spring into the mind. This is not for no good reason – the situation
in Somalia is dire. However, the classification of Somalia as a failed state is
harmful, resulting in misguided approaches to state-building which primarily
focus on institutional development. Using the ontological project of Mogobe
Ramose and consequently considering Somalia from a perspective other than that
of a failed state, one is able to see that in many areas Somalia should not be
classified as having failed as such and that there exists a society which has
thus far been ignored.
Taking Somalia out of the failed state discourse has the result of opening up new avenues for possible development, which eschew the external imposition of central institutions in favour of a development which builds on the society which already exists. Habermasian discourse ethics provide support here, orienting development around discussion and consensus. By following the lead of Somaliland and basing state-building on discourse among Somalis, the likelihood of projects succeeding is greatly increased due to their greater legitimacy through consensus. |