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The
grass roots approach
The
reconstruction of Iraq must focus on the expertise and enthusiasm
of Iraqi people, according to postwar reconstruction experts at
the University of York.
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Plans made from the top, in a vacuum, in Washington, are unlikely
to work
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| Dr
Sultan Barakat, PRDU, University of York |
Sultan
Barakat and Gareth Wardell run the Postwar Reconstruction and Development
Unit (PRDU) at the University.
They
urge the harnessing of the capabilities, knowledge and expertise
of the Iraqi population.
Kick
start Iraqi economy
Their
involvement, say the experts, will help to kick-start the economy,
which has stalled as a result of conflict and more than a decade
of international sanctions.
"Lessons
learnt from all over the world in the last 20 years show that running
reconstruction activities as though they're a military campaign
- from the top down - are expensive, unsustainable and ineffective,"
says Dr Barakat.
"The
sort of approach to development which we read about at present,
has the US - or perhaps even the UN imposing systems and procedures.
"Plans
made from the top, in a vacuum, in Washington, are unlikely to work,"
he explains.
Reconstruction
priorities
The
PRDU has experience in rebuilding war-torn communities and countries
affected by war and natural disaster all over the world.
In
recent months, they have been involved in providing training for
senior civil servants and members of the new Afghan government.
Barakat
and Wardell have identified key priorities for the aftermath of
the conflict. They are:
- To establish security, effective policing and the rule of law.
- To
lift the sanctions embargo.
- To
facilitate the provision of short-term, targeted humanitarian
assistance.
- To
rebuild Iraqi (and general Arab) trust in the international community.
"Visible
acts of confidence building, such as prisoner exchanges, acts of
commemoration and so on are important," says Sultan Barakat.
"Such
trust building activities need to pay attention to Iraqi culture
and be evenhanded.
"We
also need to remember that immediate trust in a former adversary
is not necessarily to be expected, so there could be a role for
a third-party guarantor."
Current
plans not ideal
Shortcomings
in specific areas of current plans for postwar Iraq have also been
identified by Barakat and Wardell. They are:
- The lack of an identified Iraqi Government in Exile to fill
the power vacuum.
- That
US/UK forces are inadequately prepared to handle the security
needs of the civilian society in addition to their combat duties.
- There
has been a lack of coordination with the UN and lack of plans
for fostering Iraqi participation in the future governance of
their country.
Building
sound foundations
"It
is vital that the UK and the US demonstrate commitment and integrity
to their stated aim of building a strong, stable and democratic
Iraq,"
says Gareth Wardell.
"What
we need to see now - and we haven't seen yet, is a commitment to
grass-roots approaches which strengthen and build on the capacities
of Iraqi civil society.
"This,
after all, will be the essential foundation for a functioning democracy."
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Sultan Barakat is the Director of the Post-war Reconstruction
and Development Unit, founded at the University of York in
1992. 
