Donors, technical assistance and public administration in Kosovo
by Mary Venner, Bertrand Taithe
1 Introduction 2 The setting 3 The actors 4 Public finance management 5 The civil service 6 Conclusion Index ;
1 Introduction 2 The setting 3 The actors 4 Public finance management 5 The civil service 6 Conclusion Index ;
1 Introduction 2 The setting 3 The actors 4 Public finance management 5 The civil service 6 Conclusion Index ;
The reconstruction of Kosovo after 1999 was one of the largest and most ambitious international interventions in a post conflict country. The United Nations, other major multinational organisations and many large bilateral aid donors all played a role in restoring stability and establishing governance in the territory. While some understood the situation simply as peacekeeping and reconstruction, with unique requirements and rules, for most international participants it was a 'green fields' site on which to construct a new public administration based on their ideas about 'best practice'. They did this largely by funding technical assistance projects and engaging international experts to build institutions and develop capacity. This book looks beyond the apparently united and generally self congratulatory statements of these international actors to examine what actually happened when they tried to work together in Kosovo to achieve this goal. It considers the interests and motivations, and the strengths and weaknesses of each of the major players and how they contributed to the creation of new institutions in public finance and public sector management. Although in general the international exercise in Kosovo can be seen as a success, in the sphere of public administration the results have been mixed. More than 15 years later, some institutions of government perform well while others face ongoing challenges. The book argues that much of the current day performance of the Kosovo government can be traced to the steps taken, or not taken, by these international actors in the crucial first years. ;
Behind India's high recent growth rates lies a story of societal conflict that is scarcely talked about. Across its villages and production sites, state institutions and civil society organisations, the dominant and less well-off sections of society are engaged in antagonistic relations that determine the material conditions of one quarter of the world's 'poor'. Increasingly mobile and often with several jobs in multiple locations, India's 'classes of labour' are highly segmented but far from passive in the face of ongoing exploitation and domination. Drawing on over a decade of fieldwork in rural South India, the book uses a 'class-relational' approach to analyse continuity and change in processes of accumulation, exploitation and domination. By focusing on the three interrelated arenas of labour relations, the state and civil society, it explores how improvements can be made in the conditions of labourers working 'at the margins' of global production networks, primarily as agricultural labourers and construction workers. Elements of social policy can improve the poor's material conditions and expand their political space where such ends are actively pursued by labouring class organisations. More fundamental change, though, requires stronger organisation of the informal workers who make up the majority of India's population. ;
Behind India's high recent growth rates lies a story of societal conflict that is scarcely talked about. Across its villages and production sites, state institutions and civil society organisations, the dominant and less well-off sections of society are engaged in antagonistic relations that determine the material conditions of one quarter of the world's 'poor'. Increasingly mobile and often with several jobs in multiple locations, India's 'classes of labour' are highly segmented but far from passive in the face of ongoing exploitation and domination. Drawing on over a decade of fieldwork in rural South India, the book uses a 'class-relational' approach to analyse continuity and change in processes of accumulation, exploitation and domination. By focusing on the three interrelated arenas of labour relations, the state and civil society, it explores how improvements can be made in the conditions of labourers working 'at the margins' of global production networks, primarily as agricultural labourers and construction workers. Elements of social policy can improve the poor's material conditions and expand their political space where such ends are actively pursued by labouring class organisations. More fundamental change, though, requires stronger organisation of the informal workers who make up the majority of India's population. ;
This book is about how kids become engaged with brands, and how their relationship with them changes over time as they mature as consumers. Children are introduced to brands at an early age, and they have become increasingly brand conscious. As consumer markets have developed and become more crowded and competitive, so brands have become more important in enabling consumers to make informed choices. However, it may not always be in a child's best interests to develop a preoccupation with brands, particularly if they influence the way they think about themselves. This book examines the emergence of brand awareness among children and the importance of their cognitive development to their understanding of brands and consumer socialisation. It also sheds light on problems caused by the emergence of new forms of branding in the digital era, especially in online social media and virtual environments where so many children now spend a great deal of time, and explores the implications for children and for regulators. ;
This book is about how kids become engaged with brands, and how their relationship with them changes over time as they mature as consumers. Children are introduced to brands at an early age, and they have become increasingly brand conscious. As consumer markets have developed and become more crowded and competitive, so brands have become more important in enabling consumers to make informed choices. However, it may not always be in a child's best interests to develop a preoccupation with brands, particularly if they influence the way they think about themselves. This book examines the emergence of brand awareness among children and the importance of their cognitive development to their understanding of brands and consumer socialisation. It also sheds light on problems caused by the emergence of new forms of branding in the digital era, especially in online social media and virtual environments where so many children now spend a great deal of time, and explores the implications for children and for regulators.
In providing a counterweight to the notion that political violence has irrevocably changed in a globalised world, Violence and the state offers an original and innovative way in which to understand political violence across a range of discipline areas. It explores the complex relationship between the state and its continued use of violence through a variety of historical and contemporary case studies, including the Napoleonic Wars, Nazi and Soviet 'eliticide', the consolidation of authority in modern China, post-Soviet Russia, and international criminal tribunals. It also looks at humanitarian intervention in cases of organised violence, and the willingness of elites to alter their attitude to violence if it is an instrument to achieve their own ends. The interdisciplinary approach, which spans history, sociology, international law and international relations, ensures that this book will be invaluable to a broad cross-section of scholars and politically engaged readers alike. ;
How do changing class relations contribute to processes of capitalist development? Within development studies the importance of class relations is usually relegated to lesser status than the roles of states and markets in generating and allocating resources. This book argues that the changing class relations are central to different patterns of capitalist development and that processes and outcomes of class struggle co-determine the form that development takes. Workers, state and development in Brazil illuminates these claims through a detailed empirical investigation of class dynamics and capitalist development in North East Brazil's São Francisco valley. It details how workers in the valley's export grape sector have won significant concessions from employers, contributing to a progressive pattern of regional capitalist development. The book will appeal to students and researchers interested in processes of capitalist development, agrarian political economy and international political economy.
Politics and peace in Northern Ireland analyses the complex and contradictory process of implementing the Good Friday Agreement. Using the lens of security dilemma theory, it begins with an original overview of the conflict, the Agreement and post-1998 politics. The book then explores post-Agreement Northern Ireland through the eyes of each of the four main political parties, showing how they tried to shape the course of peace implementation, and how implementation, in turn, shaped the fates and fortunes of the parties. Drawing on extensive original research, this book explains the promise and limits of the Agreement. It shows how and why the two sides' mutual insecurities repeatedly derailed peace implementation, and reflects on the likely direction of parties and politics in the future. This clearly written and up-to-date book will be of interest to scholars and students of recent Northern Irish history, ethnic conflict and peace-making. ;
Since the end of the Cold War there have been many competing ideas about how to explain contemporary conflicts, and about how the West should respond to them. This study, newly available in paperback, examines how the media interpret conflicts and international interventions, testing the sometimes contradictory claims that have been made about recent coverage of war. Framing post-Cold War conflicts takes a comparative approach, examining UK press coverage across six different crises. Through detailed analysis of news content, it seeks to identify the dominant themes in explaining the post-Cold War international order, and to discover how far the patterns established prior to 11 September 2001 have subsequently changed. Based on extensive original research, the book includes case studies of two 'humanitarian military interventions' (in Somalia and Kosovo), two instances where Western governments were condemned for not intervening enough (Bosnia and Rwanda), and the post-9/11 interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. ;
Since the end of the Cold War there have been many competing ideas about how to explain contemporary conflicts, and about how the West should respond to them. This study examines how the media interpret conflicts and international interventions, testing the sometimes contradictory claims that have been made about recent coverage of war. Framing post-Cold War conflicts takes a comparative approach, examining UK press coverage across six different crises. Through detailed analysis of news content, it seeks to identify the dominant themes in explaining the post-Cold War international order, and to discover how far the patterns established prior to 11 September 2001 have subsequently changed. Based on extensive original research, the book includes case studies of two 'humanitarian military interventions' (in Somalia and Kosovo), two instances where Western governments were condemned for not intervening enough (Bosnia and Rwanda), and the post-9/11 interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.