Written by David Nosworthy, the report, titled Children and Security Sector Reform in Post-Conflict Peace-Building, reviews the principles of SSR and transitional justice, although its focus is on how to integrate children and youth in these processes. It argues that “engaging children constructively in these processes will assist in successfully establishing long-term stability” (iii). The 
SSR Blog
Monthly Archive
August | 2010
Children forgotten actor in SSR processes
By: Laura Holland | Wednesday, August 25th, 2010Report: Pakistan’s Police between Centralization and Devolution
By: Jesse Hembruff | Friday, August 20th, 2010A key component of President Obama’s counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan has been the “civilianizing” of conflict. In Afghanistan, this is to take the form of a “civilian surge,” and in neighbouring Pakistan, it is to be implemented as part of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act. The bill mandates support for police professionalization and is
Seminar Report: Family Law Reform and Women’s Rights in Muslim Countries
By: David Isern | Wednesday, August 18th, 2010Published in June 2010, “Family Law Reform and Women’s Rights in Muslim Countries: Perspectives and Lessons Learned” is a seminar report of the third international conference hosted by Rights & Democracy from February 23-24, 2010 in Kabul. Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution that seeks to promote democratic development and the defence
7/11 Terrorist Attacks in Uganda Highlight the Need for Intelligence Reform
By: Pedro Lopez | Tuesday, August 17th, 2010The July 11th terrorist attacks carried out by the Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab underscored the need to reform the Ugandan intelligence system. The success of these attacks shows an increased level of sophistication on the part of al-Shabaab, as they are now operating outside of Somalia’s borders. In light of this continuing threat, improving the
US GAO report outlines security gains, but risks remain in Palestinian SSR process
By: Jesse Hembruff | Thursday, August 12th, 2010The “Roadmap for Peace” plan, outlined in 2002, calls for progress towards a two-state solution as a means of resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. As part of its obligations, the United States has committed to security sector reform in the West Bank, and has spent $392 million from 2007 to 2010 in these efforts. A report
EU to end SSR mission in Guinea-Bissau
By: Laura Holland | Tuesday, August 10th, 2010On August 2, the EU announced it would not extend its SSR mission in Guinea-Bissau beyond September 30. According to the statement released by the Council of the European Union, “[P]olitical instability and the lack of respect for the rule of law in the country make it impossible for the EU to deploy a follow-up
Abyei province: the crossroads of future border conflict in Sudan?
By: Aly Verjee | Monday, August 9th, 2010Landlocked between Northern and Southern Sudan, hundreds of kilometres from any major town, sits the small, rural territory of Abyei. This Kosovo-sized region, where no more than a few hundred thousand people reside — precise population figures are disputed—was for generations a remote and largely inconsequential district. In 1905, British colonial administrators transferred the district
Can a strategic realignment save the Afghan SSR process?
By: Geoff Burt | Thursday, August 5th, 2010CIGI Senior Fellow Mark Sedra has written an article in the Parliamentary Brief outlining the obstacles and challenges facing the security sector reform process in Afghanistan. The challenges are many: a national police force described as a “basket case,” a corrupt and inefficient judiciary, a shadowy and recalcitrant National Directorate of Security, and an over-matched,
Reconciling the formal and the informal: New report provides framework for informal justice reform
By: Jesse Hembruff | Wednesday, August 4th, 2010The concept of informal justice has long been a sticking point for justice reform practitioners. In many target countries informal justice systems have existed for decades, in some cases resolving 70-90 percent of disputes, and are inexorably tied to local customs and notions of justice. This is a double edged sword. Informal justice can be
Gender and SSR Workshop: Going beyond “Politically Correct”
By: Jessica Teeple | Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010Gender mainstreaming is “key to operational effectiveness, local ownership, and strengthened oversight and legitimacy of security providers,” not just an exercise in political correctness. This was one of the conclusions of a workshop held from February 17-19, 2010 by the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and h the Partnership for
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