Saving lives, building states and creating economies

By Wale Osofisan

David Miliband’s recent article, The Great New Inequality: Citizenship in a Functioning State, raises an important question about one of the defining inequalities of our time: whether people live in a state that is capable of functioning. When conflict destroys institutions, the consequences go far beyond the immediate loss of life. Schools close. Health systems collapse. Markets disappear. Justice becomes inaccessible. Governments lose the capacity to provide basic services, and citizens lose the ability to hold those responsible to account.
The first responsibility, therefore, is clear. Prevent conflict where we can and save lives when conflict occurs. But what ...