Strengthening forces for peace through experience-sharing

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The security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated as of late, with the highest number of conflict-related civilian casualties in 2016 since 2009. The efforts for a formal and sustainable peace process are insufficient and face numerous obstacles. Violent battles between government and Taliban forces have resulted in new districts falling under Taliban power. Attacks by other groups, loyal to the Islamic State, are increasing in numbers.

Despite this, there are still strong forces for peace in Afghanistan. ... Read entire post »

Technical problems, political fixes: assessing rule of law in local governance in Ukraine

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I take public sector reform challenges in the post-Soviet space quite personally, with many first-hand Kafkaesque experiences from growing up in the ‘east’. So when the opportunity came about to work for the FBA on improving service delivery from a rights-based perspective in Ukraine, I struggled to think of alternatives to the complicated procedures people often have to go through when dealing with public authorities. It made me wonder whether the system can ever truly change.

One ... Read entire post »

The view from Tbilisi

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Summertime in Tbilisi, and the temperature seems to permanently hover at 35 degrees. Among the crumbling mansions of the old city, maturing grapes can be plucked directly from the vines spanning the narrow streets, shaded courtyards and stone churches provide a cooling escape from the sun, and basement restaurants advertise tempting Georgian dishes heavy with dumplings, cheese, and barbeque shashlik. In the forested headquarters compound of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) the sound of ... Read entire post »