Beyond plunder : toward democratic governance in Liberia / Amos Sawyer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sawyer, Amos, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political violence--Liberia--History.

Political violence.

Democracy--Liberia.

Democracy.

Political culture--Liberia.

Political culture.

Liberia--Politics and government--1980-.

Liberia.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (257 p.)

Place of Publication:

Boulder, Colorado : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Can a stable political order be established in Liberia in the aftermath of the collapse of governance and a horrendous period of pillage and carnage? Amos Sawyer argues that the task can indeed be accomplished—but only in the context of new constitutional arrangements and governing institutions that differ markedly from those of the past. Sawyer draws deeply on his experience as head of state as he explores new ways of establishing constitutional foundations for democratic governance. Though he focuses on Liberia (and to some extent Sierra Leone and Guinea), his work speaks profoundly to the many other parts of Africa where the governing systems established at independence have broken down with often tragic consequences.

Contents:

""Book Title""; ""Table of Contents""; ""Preface: An Outlook from a Scholar-Activist""; ""1-Liberia�s Path to the Present""; ""Institutional Analysis and the Story of Liberia""; ""Recurrent Themes""; ""Terms and Contexts""; ""Foundations of Centralization in Liberia""; ""Notes""; ""2-The Legacy of Predation and Violence""; ""Military Roots of Violent Conflict""; ""The Irony of Taylor�s Entrepreneurial Role""; ""Understanding the Nature and Reach of the Violence""; ""The International Context of Gangsterism in Liberia""; ""Capitalizing on Predation in the West African Environment""

""Armed Gangs and Global Economic Order""""False Starts at Conflict Resolution""; ""Consequences of State Failure and Violence""; ""Gruesome Picture, Ray of Hope""; ""Notes""; ""3-Foundations for a New Order""; ""Local Institutions and Local Governance""; ""Local Institutions and Conflict Resolution""; ""Collective Action and Associational Life""; ""Religious-Based Institutions""; ""Economic Organizations""; ""Entrepreneurial Spirit in Service to Self-Governance""; ""Local Nongovernmental Organizations""; ""International Nongovernmental Organizations""; ""The Liberian Diaspora Communities""

""Resources for Survival and Building Blocks for the Future""""Notes""; ""4-Rethinking Governance""; ""Theories of Sovereignty and the Trajectory of African Governance""; ""Decentralization as Governance Strategy in the Context of the Unitary State""; ""The Liberian Experience with Decentralization""; ""Going Beyond Decentralization""; ""The Good Governance Agenda as a Post�Cold War African Governance Framework""; ""The Case for Constitutional Change in Postconflict Liberia""; ""Notes""; ""5-Framework for Democratic Self-Governance""

""Bringing African Peoples into Processes of Constitution Making and Constitutional Reform""""How Context Frames Constitutional Choices""; ""African Indigenous Patterns and the Possibilities for African Constitutional Choices""; ""Rules and Institutional Designs""; ""Institutions as Social Capital""; ""Polycentric Governance as a Democratic Alternative to Monocentric Government""; ""Building Resilience Through Polycentric Governance""; ""Appreciating the Need for Public Entrepreneurship""; ""The Impact of the International Order""

""Guideposts for Framing an Alternative to Monocentric Government""""Notes""; ""6-Creating a Context of Peace and Security""; ""Peacebuilding and Constitutional Choice""; ""A Polycentric Approach to Peacebuilding""; ""Creating Basin-Area Security Arrangements""; ""Beyond Physical Security: Local Communities as Crucibles for Peacebuilding""; ""Children, Youth, and the Elderly as Fundamental Peacebuilding Challenges""; ""The Struggle for Gender Equality as a Fundamental Peacebuilding Challenge""; ""Notes""; ""7-From Theory to Practice""; ""Framing a Polycentric System in the Mano Basin Area""

""Creating General Purpose and Task-Specific Governmental Institutions for Liberia""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-62637-099-0