Decolonising Intervention: International Statebuilding in Mozambique

by Meera Sabaratnam

Building, or re-building, states after war or crisis is a contentious process. But why? Sabaratnam argues that to best answer the question, we need to engage with the people who are supposedly benefiting from international ‘expertise’. This book challenges and enhances standard ‘critical’ narratives of statebuilding by exploring the historical experiences and interpretive frameworks of the people targeted by intervention. Drawing on face-to-face interviews, archival research, policy reviews and in-country participant-observations carried out over several years, the author challenges assumptions underpinningexternal interventions, such as the incapacity of ‘local’ agents to govern and the necessity of ‘liberal’ values in demanding better governance. The analysis focuses on Mozambique, long hailed as one of international donors’ great success stories, but whose peaceful, prosperous, democratic future now hangs in the balance. The conclusions underscore the significance of thinking with rather than for the targets of state-building assistance, and appreciating the historical and material conditions which underpin these reform efforts.

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186 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2017

Reviews

[Wim]

Coloniality still is present in international relations and is one of the main factors of the failure of development interventions, in spite of the aid effectiveness agenda. Recognising how coloniality manifests itself throughout the project cycle and in interactions with target populations and governments bodies is a first step to decolonize interventions. Sabaratnam proposes a strong model to screen interventions through a decolonizing lens. I found this book and its thesis very compelling: a must read for everyone dealing with development aid.

The first part is rather theoretical and doesn't read smoothly: it is very academic and though its content is extremely interesting, it remains hard to get through. The second part, applying the developed theoretical framework to three types of interventions, is much easier to read and equally interesting.

[Carlos Cruz Mosquera]

Great insights into Western colonial and imperialist domination of the global South, important read for anyone interested in this ongoing process.