(IDRC Project No. 103183)

 

 

This project will help IDRC’s Peace, Conflict, and Development program initiative (PCD) to better target its research programming around issues of security and insecurity, one of four main program areas identified in the 2005-2010 program prospectus. At the core of the project lies an international workshop with researchers and practitioners, to be held at IDRC Headquarters in November 2005. Prior to the workshop, PCD will commission an evaluation of a select number of projects it has supported in the area of Security Sector Reform (including the reform of the judicial and penal systems), as well as a background paper outlining current trends in the field as well as possible future programming directions. It is planned to publish these papers and other contributions to the workshop in the form of an edited volume, or as a special issue of a professional journal.

 

·          In the context of PCD’s overall evaluation plan, to take stock of recent IDRC-supported in the area of Security Sector Reform (including the reform of the justice and penal systems), with regard to the results achieved, as well as the particular challenges and requirements for carrying out research in this area.

 

·          To better understand current trends in the field of Security Sector Reform, in terms of relevant policy developments as well as scholarly debates, particularly with regard to the impact of the 9/11 attacks, the perceived shift away from human security and towards more traditional security concerns, as well as the potential redirection of Official Development Assistance (ODA) flows for these purposes.

 

·          To ascertain which parts of the Security Sector Reform research agenda remain valid, as well as to map out possible new programming directions, taking account of the trends and developments mentioned above, as well as existing research support and capacity building efforts by others, identifying gaps and opportunities, as well as potential synergies.

 

·          To help researchers gain a better understanding of SSR-related work in other world regions, as well as to identify potential synergies and possibilities for collaborative work.

 

·          To raise awareness among policymakers and the interested public regarding IDRC-supported research in the area of security sector reform.

June 2005 – June 2006

 

Gerd Schönwälder

Team Leader, Peace, Conflict and Development Unit

International Development Research Centre

Email: gschonwalder@idrc.ca