The disaster-corruption connection
9
October 2023 — 6:00PM TO 7:00PM
Anonymous (not verified)
2 October 2023
Chatham House and Online

How elite bargains hinder state building?

Political settlements, or ‘elite bargains’, among rival elites in the Middle East and elsewhere have been repeatedly pursued by international policymakers, prioritizing ‘stability’ over accountability. Whilst direct forms of violence may have reduced, the consequences for citizens have been just as deadly.
 
Recent catastrophes, including the floods in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco, have shown that years of government corruption has been revealed.  Tens of thousands have died because of inadequate state funding on infrastructure and underfunded resources.
 
In a recent research paper, Tim Easton, Dr Renad Mansour and Dr Lina Khatib, argue that elite bargains are just as contributory as direct violence to the failure of states. But with no one looking to return to the violence seen in such countries as Libya, Lebanon and Iraq, is there a more appropriate solution?
 
The panel of experts will discuss:

• How entrenched elite bargains in countries they exist, and can citizen movements overturn them?

• How can the international community navigate this risk of a resurgence in violence?

• What can the international community do to better ensure that elite bargains do not undermine human development?

As with all member events, questions from the audience drive the conversation.

Source: Chathamhouse Events