Complex Emergencies

by David J. Keen

If you thought the point of war was to win, this book will make you think again. David Keen questions the model of war as a contest between two sides aiming at political and military victory, and he also rejects the contrasting view that war represents a collapse into anarchy, mindless violence and ethnic hatred. Rather than a contest or a collapse, war is analysed as a system that has significant functions and that yields complex economic, political and psychological benefits. Some may be more interested in prolonging a war than in ending it. War may help elites to derail democracy and suppress dissent; it may be profitable for government and rebel actors; and it may allow armed groups to enjoy a sense of power over unarmed civilians. This book argues that understanding the complex functions of wars alongside other forms of human disaster, such as famine and ethnic strife, is essential if we are to reduce suffering and move towards lasting peace agreements. Complex Emergencies will be essential reading for students of development, political economy, political science and international relations.

Genres: War, Politics, Economics, Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2007

Reviews

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in international aid. The author analyzes the various roots of complex emergencies and the consequences of the solutions provided for them.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keen's analysis is not only unique, but highly valuable to anyone interested in conflict, development and/or disaster relief. His basic mode of analysis is to interpret disasters caused by conflict (so called "complex emergencies") not through the view of 'what went wrong', but instead to ask the question 'what went right, and for whom?' His is a functionalist analysis which tries to understand why and how certain actors can take advantage of failures of humanitarianism and conflict management, and to what end. Of very high value especially in terms of the political economy of civil war.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

“War may be a system as much as a contest, and, conversely, peace may itself be quite violent. Both these qualifications have important implications for ending civil wars and reconstructing economies and societies”

[Arash · Rating 5 out of 5]

For something that is really complex (its in the title), this book was incredibly comprehensive and accessible. Its a thought-provoking read for anyone looking into international aid and world conflicts.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Keen has a profoundly interesting outside take on violence. He rejects explanations based on "evil, chaos, and tribal enmity" as tautological to re-describe war as a functional system, and on the relationships between great powers, NGOs, and the residents of conflict and disaster ravaged regions as a self-perpetuating logic of violence that enables small groups of economic and political winners to thrive at the expense of the great mass of people.

For Keen, nothing is simple; nothing does precisely what it says on the tin and nothing more; everything is a matter of feedback loops and hidden alliances. The basic pattern of his war is a conflict between different bands of elites and populists in a Third World country, a necessary reaction against decades of unequal development. Both rebels and the government may enjoy benefits from an ongoing State of Emergency. Famine, atrocity, and genocide are tactics to transfer land and legitimacy from one group to another. NGO and aid programs have little review, little strategy, and may not in fact alleviate any real harms. Most provocatively, Keen sees a cycle of humiliation, and of preemptively demonstrating one's relevance to broader society, as the spark for these conflicts.

Keen's evidence is based on a wide scan of the atrocities of the late 20th century, with a particular focus on African wars (Sierra Leone, the Congo War, Sudan), but also the Balkans, Guatemala, and Cambodia. I wish there had been a little more systematic analysis, or contextualization of these conflicts. While I'm sure Keen knows his material, I'm only vaguely familiar with most of the wars, and I'd hesitate to build even an advanced undergraduate class around this book.

Finally, while it is good to be aware of the way that you're language and categories bias your response, to want more integrated policy, and a renewed focus on disarmament and post-conflict issues, "everything is complex" is not a cry to rally around. It's a weak response to "There are bad guys, and there are innocents, and we're killing bad guys and protecting the victims." The logic of humanitarian interventionism has a momentum of its own, and complexity and contingency is not firm enough to stand against calls to "do something now."

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keen's functionalist perspective contributes to the understanding of suffering, from where it emerges and why it persists. By considering the confluence of forces from both state and society and the coexistence of individual and universal experiences, Keen makes sense of a chaotic world. Practical, sensible, realistic, and sometimes downright depressing, this book will change the way you view injustice, poverty, violence, crime, corruption, inequality, and disaster.