Contemporary war economies between conflict and capitalism - Economies at War I
This event series examines the relationship between war and the economy in West Asia and North Africa. Our first event investigates the concept of war economy, drawing on experiences in Syria. Is "the economy" the solution to the problem of war or its continuation
"War Economy" is an ubiquitous term in current debates on countries like Syria, Iraq, or Libya. The dominant idea of war economy perceives a deviation from the norm and presumes that economies are destroyed by violence; new actors - so called warlords - emerge as war profiteers who have an interest in the perpetuation of conflict. Thus, for many economists, donors and NGOs, the economy also becomes the solution to war.
This concept suggests that eceonomy and war are in an antagonistic relationship. It ignores, though, the destructive and negative effects of neoliberal prewar economies. If we don't see economic relationships as inherently peaceful and just but as coercive and exploitative, the economy becomes a cause and a continuation of war rather than a solution. Using this tension as a starting point, our speakers will discuss the term war economy.
In this first of five events, we will contextualize the concept along concrete regional examples and experiences in West Asia and North Africa. Jamie Allison and Nour Harastani (tbc) will theoreticalla and practically discuss the pre- and emerging postwar economy in Syria. Further events will deal with Kurdistan, Iraq and more.
The event will be held in English.
Dr. Jamie Allison is lecturer of politics and international relations at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of „The Struggle for the State in Jordan: The Social Origins of Alliances in the Middle East“ (IB Tauris, 2016) and co-recipient of the Jadaliyya book-prize for political economy.
Venue: Sebastianstr. 21, 10179 Berlin, Germany
The event is funded by the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin
