Fixing Failed States

More about the book

Today, between forty and sixty nations, home to over one billion people, are either collapsing or on the brink of failure. The world's most pressing issues—terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, absolute poverty, ethnic conflict, disease, and genocide—stem from these states, prompting the international community to invest billions in solutions that have largely failed. Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart, with extensive experience as World Bank officials and UN advisers, provide a vivid account of why past efforts have not succeeded and propose a groundbreaking solution to this global crisis. In the paperback edition, they include a new preface addressing ongoing governance challenges in weak states like Afghanistan amid the global financial recession. They argue that many of these countries possess the necessary resources; the key lies in connecting them to global knowledge and utilizing them effectively. Their state-building strategy emphasizes shared responsibility among the international community, national leaders, and citizens, outlining a clear path to political and economic stability. The authors offer a practical framework, supported by firsthand examples from struggling territories such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Kosovo, and Nepal, alongside success stories like Singapore, Ireland, and the American South.