Challenging Good Local Governance

Experiences from Afghanistan

Conrad SchetterBonn, 4 October 2007

Good Governance versus Governance

Good Governance

“getting politics right“

from “top down to bottom up“

guided by the paradigm of liberal democracy

Good Governance versus Governance

Governance …

“… refers to the formation and stewardship of the formal and informal rules that regulate the public realm, the arena in which states as well as economic and social actors interact to make decisions” (Goran Hyden 2002)

academic perspective on mechanisms and rules, which generate policy outcomes

ZEF projects on Governance All large ZEF-projects on natural

resources include a governance dimension (GLOWA; Khorezm etc.)

Further projectsGood Governance and the Law-making

Process for Economic Reforms in Morocco, Egypt and Jordan (Noha al-Mikawy)

Alternative Institutions for Natural Resource Management in Developing Countries (Stefanie Engel)

The Impact of Liberalization cum Decentralization Economies on Russia‘s Agro-food Sector (Peter Wehrheim)

ZEF projects on Governance

ZEF-Governance Research interlinked with research on

knowledge

cultural diversity

decentralization

Good Local Governance in Fragile States

Why important?on the local level people are facing

decision making process on a daily basis

lack of state structures on the local level

lack of contact persons for development agencies

Good Local Governance in Fragile States

Good Local Governance aims

to empower local communities

to introduce liberal democratic principles

Research Area

Kunduz

Good Local Governance in Afghanistan

Projects quick and visible increasing the acceptance and

physical security of IOs/NGOs

Intervening in existing power structures manifestation of power structures de-legitimacy of democratic principles … or destabilization of the local social

order

Good Local Governance in Afghanistan

Undercover State Building via Good Local Governance identifying, shaping and territorializing

of “village communities”

IOs/NGOs – Agencies of modernity IOs/NGOs are symbolizing the

enforcement of a new order and the restructuring of power

Conclusion

Good Governance is caught between two normative dilemmas

a) Encouraging ownership of the people

b) Introducing modern standards

Conclusion

Role of research at ZEF

Generating knowledge about the policy and the implementation of good governance approaches

Generating knowledge about local institutions and actors

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Viele Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit

Thank you for your attention

More information available: www.zef/amudarya.0.de