Nation Building and Conflict
Nation building involves initiation of ideational as well as normative change in a society experiencing conflict. This is often achieved by establishing institutional framework that promotes existence of free market democracies in areas of conflict besides encouraging the diffusion of norms, ideas in addition to values such as pluralism and human rights among the people of the state under conflict. The ideational characteristic of nation building is fostering the growth of the state in the people's minds (Keranen 128). That is, what the state represents as well as its constituents. Nation building is mainly studied at the institutional level. The assertion is based on the fact that civic institutions are the basis of civic identity. These constitute cultural traits that originate from national institutions that bring people together such as political, legal, economic, and civic (Bereketeab 304). Cultural heterogeneity that influences occurrence of conflicts is often linked with the practice of civic nationhood.\u00a0
International Relations and Nation Building
Based on President Trump's indirect call for elimination of terrorists from Afghanistan, I can categorize the study of nation building under international relations. The study of international relations is associated with not only political relation between states, but also conflicts and their resolutions. That is, foreign states such as the United States play a critical role in promoting nation building in states under conflict. Nation building rarely occurs in the absence of foreign interventions. The concerned nations as well as nations mandated to promote international social order exercise their responsibility by employing effective measures to restore the status quo that acknowledges inclusivity of the people. For instance, the international community has resorted to using militaristic 'stopgap' measures to change the political structure and practice in Afghanistan that has contributed to the continuous deterioration in security for many years (Edwards 967).
Nation Building Strategies in Sudan
During the post-colonial period, homogenizing strategy was used to promote nation building besides forming identity in Sudan. This strategy focused on Islamization as well as Arabization of the people at the expense of not only excluding, but also marginalizing the non-Arabs, secular Muslims together with non-Muslims (Bereketeab 308). That is, nation building in Sudan was based on a radical Islamic ideology. Unfortunately, this ideology impaired with cohesion and consolidation of what is referred to as national identity as it led to chronic disintegration. However, the need for integration influenced the introduction of social covenants as nation-building strategy in Sudan. The covenants were aimed at encouraging the Sudanese to accept each other, but surprisingly resulted in the secession of South Sudan to allow people with common beliefs to share equal rights as well as responsibilities (Bereketeab 313). However, it is imperative to note that South Sudan is experiencing severe conflicts that necessitate the reconstitution of not only identity but also nation-building.
Nation Building in Bosnia
Unlike in Sudan, nation-building in Bosnia involved initiation of diverse policies together with reforms that could enhance development of a sense of belonging in addition to state identity. The national and international policies and reforms were aimed at dismantling conflict-hardened identities to create liberal subjects (Keranen 132). That is, nation-building in Bosnia involved promotion of citizenry and establishment of individualistic and civic notion of belonging. One critical strategy that led to the end of the Bosnian War that involved three key national groups, Bosnian Serbs, Bosnian Croats as well as Bosnian Muslims was the assent of the peace agreement referred to as Dayton Peace Accord (Keranen 132). Apart from dividing the country into two groups, the agreement led to the establishment of a multifaceted consociational structure of leadership (Keranen 132). Based on this, it is apparent that the international community failed to establish one national identity in Bosnia. The failure, however, is attributed to politics of ethnicity that contributes significantly to the destabilization of the country (Keranen 133).
Challenges in Nation Building in Afghanistan
The international community has associated itself with establishment of Afghanistan over one decade now with insignificant success as demonstrated with the worsening of the situation on the ground. Failure of peaceful measures has influenced the international community to consider using militaristic measures (Edwards 967). The assertion is evidenced by the current justification of war against terrorist in the name of dismantling terror network so as to strengthen Afghan government (Edwards 967). However, some of the strategies that have been used to contain situations in Afghanistan include the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty to contain the expansion of Afghanistan's violence to other states in early 2000s (Edwards 975). Similarly, the Bonn Agreement was signed during this period to lay a basis for state-building process. In addition to the North Atlantic Treaty and Bonn process, Security Sector Reform was embraced by G8 to allow the establishment of Afghan security forces. All these measures were aimed at toppling the Taliban regime and restoring peace. However, these international interventions have not succeeded in restoring political order in Afghanistan.
The Best Process for Nation Building
Although all the international community measures are aimed at nation-building in states under conflict, I consider "promotion of citizenry and establishment of individualistic and civic notion of belonging" as the best process for nation-building. The process acknowledges the importance of citizenship in establishing a unified nation. That is, exercise of equality in governance will make people to have a common understanding or perception of their citizenship. The notion of individualism is often misunderstood as many people believe it involves expression of indifference to other people's beliefs and practices. However, this is not the case. Social individualism initiates accountability which is critical in establishment of an inclusive nation. Likewise, civic belonging discourages people from embracing ethnicity which is the primary cause of division in many societies.
Measuring the Process
Moreover, the process of establishing citizenry as well as individualistic and civic notion of belonging is easy to measure when compared with other processes of nation-building used in countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan. The claim is attributed to the visible results in people following the embracement of what the process entails. For instance, citizenry can be demonstrated by the reaction of people towards the political leadership of a state. Based on this, one could expect to see the citizenry of Afghanistan organizing resistance against harsh regime (Symanski 83). Likewise, embracement of civic belonging can be demonstrated by the people's drop of ethnic practices for practices that promote inclusiveness. For instance, it is easy to identify a civic nationalism in the people as they advocate values of not only freedoms and tolerance, but also equality. People who embrace civic belonging also respect individual rights. Thus, the process of promoting citizenry and acceptance of civic belonging is measurable as the results are demonstrated by the people. This process is also critical as it helps the international community to evaluate their performance as much as "winning" of nation-building is concerned (Symanski 83).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the process of nation building involves many strategies. The process is often international as it involves the intervention of foreign countries. The division experienced in countries under conflict such as Sudan, Bosnia, and Afghanistan is as a result of ethnic belonging in addition to political ethnicity. Successful nation-building can be achieved through employing measures that promote citizenry in addition to individualistic and civic belonging.
Works Cited
Bereketeab, Redie. Redefining National Identity and Nation-Building in Post-secession Sudans: Civic and Ethnic Models. Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, 2014. Print.
Edwards, Lucy. State-building in Afghanistan: a case showing the limits? International Review of the Red Cross, 2011. Print.
Keranen, Outi. Building States and Identities in Post-Conflict States: Symbolic Practices in Post- Dayton Bosnia. Civil Wars, 2014; 2, 127–146. Print.
Symanski, Michael. The Next Time We Reinvent Someone Else’s Country …Military Review, 2012. Print.
