News
Bookpresentation 'From Soldiers to Politicians'
January 28, 2008. During a well-attended gathering on Friday, the 11th of January, Jeroen de Zeeuw (ed.) presented his new book From Soldiers to Politicians. Transforming Rebel Movements after Civil War. The presentation took place at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was followed by a panel discussion headed by Ms. Louise Anten, Head Peacebuilding and Good Governance Division of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The panel consisted of the Clingendael book editor, Jeroen de Zeeuw, Afghanistan expert and Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, Antonio Giustozzi, policy officer for Asia and Indonesia at the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, Will Derks, and senior policy advisor at the Department of Human Rights and Peacebuilding of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ruth Emmerink, who reflected and commented on the findings of this book in relation to (Dutch) foreign and development cooperation policy.
The panel then entered into a discussion with the attendants who were among other things interested in the question to what extent rebel movements can truly adhere to democratic principles, related to, for instance, party organisation and representation. Although the focus of this book lies on peacebuilding rather than on democratisation, the panellists all agreed that a lack of democratic principles does not render the transition of rebel movements into political parties irrelevant. Early support, transfer of knowledge and sensitizing internal actors by the international community as well as temporarily assuming responsibility by the latter over political responsibilities in order to relieve pressure on political parties, were all seen as necessary contributions for a successful transformation process.
A follow-up seminar in April 2008 shall be attended by Mr Koenders, the Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation.
More information
- For further information, please contact Marco Mezzera.
- A summary of the book can be found on our website »
- The book can be ordered through Lynne Rienner publishers, ISBN: 978-1-58826-580-7