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Brett O'Bannon

Webster University, International Relations, Faculty Member

University of Toronto, Munk School of Global Affairs, Senior Fellow, Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

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Formally trained as an IR/Comparative Politics scholar, with a regional focus on Africa. Now ranked by Academia.edu in top 2.1% by views in my fields (Conflict Analysis, Genocide, Rwanda, Peace and Reconciliation, International Relations, plus some 40 more research interests).My interests in conflict have risen over time in both scale and intensity - from Herder-Farmer conflicts in the Sahel, to Civil War, to mass atrocity and its prevention. I've always tried to follow the dictum "let the research question determine the methodology, method, etc." I thus remain a disciplinary and methodological pluralist. I’m finishing a book l length manuscript that seeks to stake a claim for the epistemological validity of interdisciplinarity, in the face of an apparent resurgent scientism that seems to occupy common space and objectives with a renewed culture war, both of which seem to exploit the inherent vulnerability of nascent interdisciplinary research programs.
Phone: +66 80 396 3575
Address: Department of International Relations
Webster University - Thailand
Cha-am / Hua Hin Campus
143 Moo 5, Tambon Sampraya, Cha-am
Petchaburi, Thailand 76120

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University of Bergen

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Oludamini Ogunnaike

University of Virginia

Central European University

Oliver P Richmond

The University of Manchester

Richard Bellamy

University College London

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Videos by Brett O'Bannon

" 'To Do No Harm': The Protection of Human Subjects in ‘Difficult Contexts,'" Tomorrow People's Virtual Peace and Conflict Resolution Conference, hosted by Webster University Thailand, 3 December, 2020

Conflict, violence, war, and other complex humanitarian emergencies constitute a growth industry ... more Conflict, violence, war, and other complex humanitarian emergencies constitute a growth industry for field researchers. Regulation of this research is grounded in the three ethical principles for all human subjects research. These are: 1) Respect for Persons (e.g., informed consent, treatment with dignity and respecting their rights to autonomy; 2) Beneficence - the duty to act in the best interest of the subject, and 3) Justice – minimizing inequities and inequalities in the distribution of benefits and risks of participation in research. These principles create the duty to Do no Harm. The problem explored here is how researchers can shoulder the obligation to do no harm, when the research takes place in contexts that are themselves intrinsically injurious to the human subjects they study.

1 views

"Never Again? The UN's Role in Genocide Prevention"

Invited lecture to the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. A discussion of various institu... more Invited lecture to the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. A discussion of various institutional and normative efforts, with specific attention paid to the Responsibility to Protect, to prevent and respond to mass atrocity crimes. Review from the GRCC-TV stated "Dr. Brett O’Bannon, gave a talk that was considered by some to be the most important Great Decisions lecture delivered in Grand Rapids since the series began: 'Never Again: The UN’s Role in Genocide Prevention.'"

"Conflict Analysis for the United Nations: Exploring the “post” Conflict Environment in Côte d’Ivoire," Eye on Africa, Michigan State University

Invited presentation to Michigan State University's monthly Eye on Africa lecture series. This pr... more Invited presentation to Michigan State University's monthly Eye on Africa lecture series. This presentation explores the analytical, ethical, and political challenges of doing conflict analysis in a putatively "post" conflict environment, but which was in many respects a conflict moving toward intractability.

152 views

Consider This: Humanitarian Intervention (Episode 1/2)

Consider This is a TV program produced by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. It i... more Consider This is a TV program produced by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. It is produced by Jasper Sumner, moderated by professional broadcaster Sam Graves, features faculty members Scott Pegg, Michael Snodgrass, Jasper Sumner, Charles WInslow and John McCormick as regular panelists, and centers on guests with special interests in the topic of the week. Brett O'Bannon is the special guest for this 2-part series exploring the legal, ethical, and political challenges of responding to mass atrocities. Dr. O'Bannon also discusses the normative and operational status of the Responsibility to Protect norm in the wake of the R2P-inspired interventions in Cöte d'Ivoire and Libya.

"Conflict in Côte d’Ivoire and Beyond, From High Politics to the Grassroots," Episode 83 of Africa Past & Present: The Podcast about History, Culture and Politics, African Online Digital Library

Brett O’Bannon (Political Science, Director of Conflict Studies, DePauw University) on the causes... more Brett O’Bannon (Political Science, Director of Conflict Studies, DePauw University) on the causes and consequences of civil war in Côte d’Ivoire; the “Responsibility to Protect” as applied to conflict in Africa ; and monitoring herder-farmer relations in Senegal to anticipate the onset of wider-scale warfare.

67 views

Papers by Brett O'Bannon

Weaponized Epistemology in the Science Warriors' Embrace of Culture Wars: A Defense of White Fragility from a Methodological Pluralist," In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge. Under revision for peer review for...

Ontological Insecurity and the Origins of the Responsibility to Protect

The social dimensions of climate change: An analysis of herder/farmer conflict in the Sahel, West Africa

Briefing note presented to the Economic Community of West African States Ministerial “Regional Co... more

Never Again? The UN's Role in Genocide Prevention," Invited Presentation to World Affairs Council of Western Michigan

Africa

No War – No Peace: The “Post-conflict” Environment in Côte d’Ivoire

Between the Christmas coup of 1999 and the end of the post-electoral crisis in April 2011, Ivoiri... more Between the Christmas coup of 1999 and the end of the post-electoral crisis in April 2011, Ivoirians witnessed stretches of unsteady, insecure peace punctuated by episodes of acute violence and atrocity. From April to December 2011, UNICEF was actively involved in responding to the most recent humanitarian crisis based upon operational commitments embedded in the Core Commitments for Children (CCC). Though by early October 2011, widespread armed confrontation was no longer an issue of greatest concern, UNICEF’s Representative remained concerned by the high level of tensions in the West, reports of persistent violence in and around Bouaké, and the stalemate of the reconciliation process. As a result, he determined that it was imperative to engage in formal conflict analysis, the objective of which was to map this complex conflict for the purpose of better understanding its causes, dynamics, and consequences and to assess the present state of tensions in the country. Doing so should aid UNICEF in better implementing its recovery and transition mission so as to improve its contribution to the larger peacebuilding enterprise pursued by the Government and the international community.

Interdisciplinarity at DePauw University: Problems and Prospects for Realizing the Promise of Collaborative and Integrative Learning

This analysis establishes the case for interdisciplinary research and teaching and assesses the c... more

Speak no more of cousinage? Neoliberalism, conflict, and the decline of joking relations

Occasional Paper, 2008

‘Monitoring the Frog’ in Africa: Conflict Early Warning with Structural Data *

Global Responsibility to Protect, 2012

There is in both the theory and practice of early warning a clear preference for tracking and ana... more There is in both the theory and practice of early warning a clear preference for tracking and analysing proximate or immediate causes of conflict, sometimes referred to as ‘triggers’ or ‘accelerators’, over factors that might generate earlier warnings, such as shifts in deep-rooted, structural determinants of conflict. This preference reflects common assumptions made about the nature of structural factors (viz. that they are static and/or too indirectly linked to outcomes) and the relative ease with which less deeply rooted factors may be monitored. I suggest that structural factors are indeed variables, the value of which can be indirectly assessed with proxy indicators. Adopting a method from conservation biology, the monitoring of a ‘species’ of conflict (low intensity herder-farmer conflict), allows one to assess how well society is bearing political, economic, environmental and cultural stress. Normally considered too difficult to track in their own right for use as data in ear...

The Narmada River Project: Toward a feminist model of women in development

Policy Sciences, 1994

A number of competing models of women in development have been vying for the allegiance of femini... more A number of competing models of women in development have been vying for the allegiance of feminist scholars concerned with gender equity in the Third World. This article compares the merits of the liberal integration model, the marginalization model, the capitalist exploitation model, and the socialist feminist model in assessing the probable consequences of a mega-development project for women. Using the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River in India as a case study, the essay contrasts the outcomes projected by each model in order to explore the play of gender in Third World societies and in development policies. In addition, applying these competing models to an on-going development project illuminates limitations in each model which must be overcome if the goal of a feminist model of women in development is to minimize the harm done to women by development and to empower women of the Third World.

No War No Peace': Mapping the 'Post-Conflict' Environment in Cote D'Ivoire

Cote d'Ivoire is emerging from a 12-year period of on-again, off again conflict. The period ... more Cote d'Ivoire is emerging from a 12-year period of on-again, off again conflict. The period began in 2002 with a rebellion that effectively cut the country in half and ended in 2011 when rebel forces (with international assistance) took the city of Abidjan and removed Laurent Gbagbo from power. I argue that present circumstances fit the no war no peace framework (Richards 2005; MacGinty 2017. This paper seeks to map the post-conflict environment with a view to exploring the implications of the no war no peace environment for Cote dIvoires most vulnerable populations. It is based on 2012 field research carried out in Abidjan, Bouake and multiple sites in the West.

Reassessing the Responsibility to Protect

Reassessing the Responsibility to Protect, 2015

Introduction, Brett O'Bannon 1. The Responsibility to Protect and the Limits of International... more Introduction, Brett O'Bannon 1. The Responsibility to Protect and the Limits of International Authority, Anne Orford 2. Understanding the Gap between the Promise and the Reality of 'The Responsibility to Protect', David Chandler 3. The Rise and Fall (and Supposed Rise Again) of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) as a Norm of International Law: R2P in the Human Rights Landscape, Jeremy Sarkin 4. Africa: Is there a State? Implications of Statelessness for a State-Centric Human Protection Norm, Brett R. O'Bannon 5. The Responsibility to Protect in the Congo: The Failure of Prevention, Severine Autesserre 6. United Nations Action in Sri Lanka and the Responsibility to Protect, Alex J. Bellamy 7. The Unintended Consequences of UN peacekeeping in post-war South Sudan: Why Everyone Wants a Uniform, Carol Berger 8. Crying Out for Action: Do the Dead Say Anything about the Responsibility to Protect?, John K. Roth

Preparing Future Faculty Symposium: Preparing Future Faculty at the Indiana Cluster

Political Science & Politics, 2002

BOOK REVIEW: Michael, Sarah. UNDERMINING DEVELOPMENT: THE ABSENCE OF POWER AMONG LOCAL NGOs IN AFRICA. Oxford: James Currey and Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2004

Africa Today, 2005

Undermining Development: The Absence of Power among Local NGOs in Africa (review)

African Studies Review, 2005

" 'To Do No Harm': The Protection of Human Subjects in ‘Difficult Contexts,'" Tomorrow People's Virtual Peace and Conflict Resolution Conference, hosted by Webster University Thailand, 3 December, 2020

Conflict, violence, war, and other complex humanitarian emergencies constitute a growth industry ... more Conflict, violence, war, and other complex humanitarian emergencies constitute a growth industry for field researchers. Regulation of this research is grounded in the three ethical principles for all human subjects research. These are: 1) Respect for Persons (e.g., informed consent, treatment with dignity and respecting their rights to autonomy; 2) Beneficence - the duty to act in the best interest of the subject, and 3) Justice – minimizing inequities and inequalities in the distribution of benefits and risks of participation in research. These principles create the duty to Do no Harm. The problem explored here is how researchers can shoulder the obligation to do no harm, when the research takes place in contexts that are themselves intrinsically injurious to the human subjects they study.

1 views

"Never Again? The UN's Role in Genocide Prevention"

Invited lecture to the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. A discussion of various institu... more Invited lecture to the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. A discussion of various institutional and normative efforts, with specific attention paid to the Responsibility to Protect, to prevent and respond to mass atrocity crimes. Review from the GRCC-TV stated "Dr. Brett O’Bannon, gave a talk that was considered by some to be the most important Great Decisions lecture delivered in Grand Rapids since the series began: 'Never Again: The UN’s Role in Genocide Prevention.'"

"Conflict Analysis for the United Nations: Exploring the “post” Conflict Environment in Côte d’Ivoire," Eye on Africa, Michigan State University

Invited presentation to Michigan State University's monthly Eye on Africa lecture series. This pr... more Invited presentation to Michigan State University's monthly Eye on Africa lecture series. This presentation explores the analytical, ethical, and political challenges of doing conflict analysis in a putatively "post" conflict environment, but which was in many respects a conflict moving toward intractability.

152 views

Consider This: Humanitarian Intervention (Episode 1/2)

Consider This is a TV program produced by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. It i... more Consider This is a TV program produced by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. It is produced by Jasper Sumner, moderated by professional broadcaster Sam Graves, features faculty members Scott Pegg, Michael Snodgrass, Jasper Sumner, Charles WInslow and John McCormick as regular panelists, and centers on guests with special interests in the topic of the week. Brett O'Bannon is the special guest for this 2-part series exploring the legal, ethical, and political challenges of responding to mass atrocities. Dr. O'Bannon also discusses the normative and operational status of the Responsibility to Protect norm in the wake of the R2P-inspired interventions in Cöte d'Ivoire and Libya.

"Conflict in Côte d’Ivoire and Beyond, From High Politics to the Grassroots," Episode 83 of Africa Past & Present: The Podcast about History, Culture and Politics, African Online Digital Library

Brett O’Bannon (Political Science, Director of Conflict Studies, DePauw University) on the causes... more Brett O’Bannon (Political Science, Director of Conflict Studies, DePauw University) on the causes and consequences of civil war in Côte d’Ivoire; the “Responsibility to Protect” as applied to conflict in Africa ; and monitoring herder-farmer relations in Senegal to anticipate the onset of wider-scale warfare.

67 views

Weaponized Epistemology in the Science Warriors' Embrace of Culture Wars: A Defense of White Fragility from a Methodological Pluralist," In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge. Under revision for peer review for...

Ontological Insecurity and the Origins of the Responsibility to Protect

The social dimensions of climate change: An analysis of herder/farmer conflict in the Sahel, West Africa

Briefing note presented to the Economic Community of West African States Ministerial “Regional Co... more

Never Again? The UN's Role in Genocide Prevention," Invited Presentation to World Affairs Council of Western Michigan

Africa

No War – No Peace: The “Post-conflict” Environment in Côte d’Ivoire

Between the Christmas coup of 1999 and the end of the post-electoral crisis in April 2011, Ivoiri... more Between the Christmas coup of 1999 and the end of the post-electoral crisis in April 2011, Ivoirians witnessed stretches of unsteady, insecure peace punctuated by episodes of acute violence and atrocity. From April to December 2011, UNICEF was actively involved in responding to the most recent humanitarian crisis based upon operational commitments embedded in the Core Commitments for Children (CCC). Though by early October 2011, widespread armed confrontation was no longer an issue of greatest concern, UNICEF’s Representative remained concerned by the high level of tensions in the West, reports of persistent violence in and around Bouaké, and the stalemate of the reconciliation process. As a result, he determined that it was imperative to engage in formal conflict analysis, the objective of which was to map this complex conflict for the purpose of better understanding its causes, dynamics, and consequences and to assess the present state of tensions in the country. Doing so should aid UNICEF in better implementing its recovery and transition mission so as to improve its contribution to the larger peacebuilding enterprise pursued by the Government and the international community.

Interdisciplinarity at DePauw University: Problems and Prospects for Realizing the Promise of Collaborative and Integrative Learning

This analysis establishes the case for interdisciplinary research and teaching and assesses the c... more

Speak no more of cousinage? Neoliberalism, conflict, and the decline of joking relations

Occasional Paper, 2008

‘Monitoring the Frog’ in Africa: Conflict Early Warning with Structural Data *

Global Responsibility to Protect, 2012

There is in both the theory and practice of early warning a clear preference for tracking and ana... more There is in both the theory and practice of early warning a clear preference for tracking and analysing proximate or immediate causes of conflict, sometimes referred to as ‘triggers’ or ‘accelerators’, over factors that might generate earlier warnings, such as shifts in deep-rooted, structural determinants of conflict. This preference reflects common assumptions made about the nature of structural factors (viz. that they are static and/or too indirectly linked to outcomes) and the relative ease with which less deeply rooted factors may be monitored. I suggest that structural factors are indeed variables, the value of which can be indirectly assessed with proxy indicators. Adopting a method from conservation biology, the monitoring of a ‘species’ of conflict (low intensity herder-farmer conflict), allows one to assess how well society is bearing political, economic, environmental and cultural stress. Normally considered too difficult to track in their own right for use as data in ear...

The Narmada River Project: Toward a feminist model of women in development

Policy Sciences, 1994

A number of competing models of women in development have been vying for the allegiance of femini... more A number of competing models of women in development have been vying for the allegiance of feminist scholars concerned with gender equity in the Third World. This article compares the merits of the liberal integration model, the marginalization model, the capitalist exploitation model, and the socialist feminist model in assessing the probable consequences of a mega-development project for women. Using the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River in India as a case study, the essay contrasts the outcomes projected by each model in order to explore the play of gender in Third World societies and in development policies. In addition, applying these competing models to an on-going development project illuminates limitations in each model which must be overcome if the goal of a feminist model of women in development is to minimize the harm done to women by development and to empower women of the Third World.

No War No Peace': Mapping the 'Post-Conflict' Environment in Cote D'Ivoire

Cote d'Ivoire is emerging from a 12-year period of on-again, off again conflict. The period ... more Cote d'Ivoire is emerging from a 12-year period of on-again, off again conflict. The period began in 2002 with a rebellion that effectively cut the country in half and ended in 2011 when rebel forces (with international assistance) took the city of Abidjan and removed Laurent Gbagbo from power. I argue that present circumstances fit the no war no peace framework (Richards 2005; MacGinty 2017. This paper seeks to map the post-conflict environment with a view to exploring the implications of the no war no peace environment for Cote dIvoires most vulnerable populations. It is based on 2012 field research carried out in Abidjan, Bouake and multiple sites in the West.

Reassessing the Responsibility to Protect

Reassessing the Responsibility to Protect, 2015

Introduction, Brett O'Bannon 1. The Responsibility to Protect and the Limits of International... more Introduction, Brett O'Bannon 1. The Responsibility to Protect and the Limits of International Authority, Anne Orford 2. Understanding the Gap between the Promise and the Reality of 'The Responsibility to Protect', David Chandler 3. The Rise and Fall (and Supposed Rise Again) of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) as a Norm of International Law: R2P in the Human Rights Landscape, Jeremy Sarkin 4. Africa: Is there a State? Implications of Statelessness for a State-Centric Human Protection Norm, Brett R. O'Bannon 5. The Responsibility to Protect in the Congo: The Failure of Prevention, Severine Autesserre 6. United Nations Action in Sri Lanka and the Responsibility to Protect, Alex J. Bellamy 7. The Unintended Consequences of UN peacekeeping in post-war South Sudan: Why Everyone Wants a Uniform, Carol Berger 8. Crying Out for Action: Do the Dead Say Anything about the Responsibility to Protect?, John K. Roth

Preparing Future Faculty Symposium: Preparing Future Faculty at the Indiana Cluster

Political Science & Politics, 2002

BOOK REVIEW: Michael, Sarah. UNDERMINING DEVELOPMENT: THE ABSENCE OF POWER AMONG LOCAL NGOs IN AFRICA. Oxford: James Currey and Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2004

Africa Today, 2005

Undermining Development: The Absence of Power among Local NGOs in Africa (review)

African Studies Review, 2005

Brokering Democracy in Africa: The Rise of Clientelist Democracy in Senegal. By Linda J. Beck. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. 280p. $79.95.No-Party Democracy? Ugandan Politics in Comparative Perspective. By Giovanni Carbone. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2008. 259p. $58.50.Kenya's Quest for De...

Perspectives on Politics, 2009

, too, relies on a "race relations" paradigm focused primarily on white racial attitudes to expla... more , too, relies on a "race relations" paradigm focused primarily on white racial attitudes to explain racially unjust outcomes. That paradigmatic dominance continues today, as arguably the most prominent and publishable work on race in political science is still primarily theoretically and methodologically individualist. As political science now grapples with attempts to understand the meaning of "race" in an Obama era, Steinberg's insightful book is an excellent source for learning from the failures of our sister discipline about this enduring issue in American politics.

Women in the South African Parliament: From Resistance to Governance

Politics & Gender, 2006

In addition to crafting an extraordinarily progressive constitution, South Africans, particularly... more In addition to crafting an extraordinarily progressive constitution, South Africans, particularly newly enfranchised women in Parliament, used the momentous occasion of apartheid's end to construct an elaborate array of state institutions charged with advancing and empowering women in the new South Africa. Known as the National Gender Machinery, these structures of state feminism represent an achievement of considerable significance. By way of explanation for these achievements, Hannah Britton's new book offers a compelling account of the efforts of women in South Africa, particularly the first two generations of women in Parliament, to bridge their myriad modes of involvement in the liberation struggle with the continuing struggle to achieve gender equality in the postapartheid era. Although this is clearly a case study, Britton makes good use of secondary material from a number of comparative cases. Of particular value are the references to the experiences of the women's movement in Uganda that run throughout the text. There are also less frequent but still illuminating references to cases in other parts of Africa (e.g., Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe), Latin America, Europe, and Australia. From the sort of attention to the details of institutional culture that characterize this book, we learn that women in the Parliament of the latter case found themselves, as did women in the South African assembly, literally "frozen out" of the institution. That is, in both cases, the formerly exclusive suit-wearing male institutions were kept at temperatures ill suited for work by women whose typical business attire is lighter weight. It is

Rejoinder to critics of White Fragility.pdf

In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge

This draft is one of two chapters that engage with the work of Robin DiAngelo, namely her book, W... more This draft is one of two chapters that engage with the work of Robin DiAngelo, namely her book, White Fragility. Both chapters are from my book length manuscript -- "In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge -- under final revisions for review at Palgrave Pivot. This chapter is a rejoinder to an increasingly uncharitable chorus of critics I have referred to elsewhere as the Anti-Anti- Crowd, those who work diligently to find fault with anti-racists, or anyone who dares oppose the forces of hate: National Review, which sees the alleged greed motive as the only redeeming quality in the fight against bigotry, Aero magazine, masters in the art of academic misconduct and of picking on the little guy (and girl), and the alt-lite Quillette, founded by alt-right Islamophobe Claire Lehmann. (See, "It’s Always what Comes After the “But,” Newest to Join the Anti-Anti-Racism Crowd Reveals the Same Irrational Hatred of Robin DiAngelo," Medium.org). My other chapter engaging with DiAngelo's number 1 bestseller, offering my own critique of her work, will be uploaded soon.

Weaponized Epistemology in the Science Warriors’ Embrace of Culture Wars: A Defense of White Fragility from a Methodological Pluralist

In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge

This draft is one of two chapters that engage with the work of Robin DiAngelo, namely her book, W... more This draft is one of two chapters that engage with the work of Robin DiAngelo, namely her book, White Fragility. Both chapters are from my book length manuscript -- "In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge -- under final revisions for review at Palgrave Pivot. This chapter is a rejoinder to an increasingly uncharitable chorus of critics I have referred to elsewhere as the Anti-Anti- Crowd, those who work diligently to find fault with anti-racists, or anyone who dares oppose the forces of hate: National Review, which sees the alleged greed motive as the only redeeming quality in the fight against bigotry, Aero magazine, masters in the art of academic misconduct and of picking on the little guy (and girl), and the alt-lite Quillette, founded by alt-right Islamophobe Claire Lehmann. (See, "It’s Always what Comes After the “But,” Newest to Join the Anti-Anti-Racism Crowd Reveals the Same Irrational Hatred of Robin DiAngelo," Medium.org). My other chapter engaging with DiAngelo's number 1 bestseller, offering my own critique of her work, will be uploaded soon.

Genocide as Cultural Object: International Society’s Construction of a Social (Security) Problem (abridged version)

Peace and Conflict Resolution Conference 2018 Conference Proceedings , 2018

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P), an emerging norm in international relations dedicated to mas... more The Responsibility to Protect (R2P), an emerging norm in international relations dedicated to mass atrocity prevention and response, has enjoyed meteoric success. Though R2P remains controversial, many observers have argued that the scope and speed of its progress in the normative arena is unparalleled. The principle puzzle in this paper is about explaining why it and none of any number of alternative ideas dedicated to alleviating mass human suffering have moved neither as far nor as fast as R2P. This question is important because the elevation of concern for mass atrocity crimes over other sources of mass human suffering, such as extreme poverty or infectious diseases, promises to reveal something about the social and material composition of international society. To tackle this sort of problem, I develop in the first half of this paper a theoretical framework for unpacking the constituent elements of the R2P “idea” – its meanings, as Epstein emphasizes – which seems to enjoy such a privileged place in the current pantheon of ideas. For it is those constituent meanings – the intersubjective building blocks of competing norms – that explain, as we will see, the transformation of the discourse of mass human suffering into one that emphasizes not necessarily those who suffer but those whose security interests are said to be threatened by such suffering. To assess the validity of this framework I employ it in an examination of the ways in which advocates have sought to gain international society’s favor and resources to manage three equally compelling vectors of human tragedy: mass atrocity crimes, HIV/AIDS (hereafter “AIDS”), and global extreme poverty (hereafter “poverty”).

Never Again? The UN's Role in Genocide Prevention

The PDF of the Keynote Presentation that accompanied my talk given to the World Affairs Council o... more The PDF of the Keynote Presentation that accompanied my talk given to the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, February 22, 2016. I offer a brief history of mass atrocity response and prevention from the Cold War to the present crisis in Syria. I explore the origins and current normative and operational status of the Responsibility to Protect principle. The talk can be viewed above in the video section.

Eye on Africa: “Conflict Analysis for the UN: Exploring the ‘post’ Conflict Environment in Cote d’Ivoire”

Video of this presentation now available on my profile. This discussion relates my experiences a... more Video of this presentation now available on my profile.
This discussion relates my experiences and findings of a UN consultancy to assess the nature of the "post"-conflict environment in Côte d'Ivoire with a view to making suggestions for the organization of the national and international peacebuilding architecture.

Humanitarian Intervention and R2P: When, where and why?

The August 2, 2014 episode of Consider This discusses the evolution of norms and practices relate... more

Webinar: Virtual Alumni College (DePauw University), Humanitarian Intervention

A discussion of some of the basic concepts and problematics in the issue area commonly known as H... more

UN Peacekeeping: Strengths and Weaknesses

Keynote Address, International Day of Peace, United Nations Association of Greater Lansing, Michi... more

Conflict in Côte d’Ivoire and Beyond, From High Politics to the Grassroots

Episode 83 of Africa Past & Present, the Podcast about African History, Politics and Culture, Afr... more

“Conflict Analysis for the UN: Exploring the ‘post’ Conflict Environment in Cote d’Ivoire”

Weekly Eye on Africa seminar of the African Studies program, Michigan State University. The talk ... more

Review of UNDERMINING DEVELOPMENT: THE ABSENCE OF POWER AMONG LOCAL NGOs IN AFRICA, by Sarah Michael

Review Essay on Democratization in Africa (Perspectives on Politics)

review of Brokering Democracy in Africa: The Rise of Clientelist Democracy in Senegal. By Linda J... more review of Brokering Democracy in Africa: The Rise of Clientelist Democracy in Senegal. By Linda J. Beck. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008; No-Party Democracy? Ugandan Politics in Comparative Perspective. By Giovanni Carbone. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2008; Kenya’s Quest for Democracy: Taming Leviathan. By Makau Mutua. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2008.

review of Women in the South African Parliament: From Resistance to Governance. By Hannah E. Britton

Imperfect Duties? Humanitarian Intervention in Africa and the Responsibility to Protect in a Post-Iraq Era

Janet Prindle Institute of Ethics, 2009

Program for the inaugural symposium at the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics, DePauw University,... more Program for the inaugural symposium at the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics, DePauw University, March 5-7, 2009. Leading scholars, diplomats, civil society leaders engaged in a reflective inquiry into the normative and operational status of The Responsibility to Protect with specific concern for the African context and the impact of the war in Iraq.

Weaponized Epistemology in the Science Warriors’ Embrace of Culture Wars: A Defense of White Fragility from a Methodological Pluralist

In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge.

This draft is one of two chapters that engage with the work of Robin DiAngelo, namely her book, W... more This draft is one of two chapters that engage with the work of Robin DiAngelo, namely her book, White Fragility. Both chapters are from my book length manuscript -- "In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge -- under final revisions for review at Palgrave Pivot. This chapter is a rejoinder to an increasingly uncharitable chorus of critics I have referred to elsewhere as the Anti-Anti- Crowd, those who work diligently to find fault with anti-racists, or anyone who dares oppose the forces of hate: National Review, which sees the alleged greed motive as the only redeeming quality in the fight against bigotry, Aero magazine, masters in the art of academic misconduct and of picking on the little guy (and girl), and the alt-lite Quillette, founded by alt-right Islamophobe Claire Lehmann. (See, "It’s Always what Comes After the “But,” Newest to Join the Anti-Anti-Racism Crowd Reveals the Same Irrational Hatred of Robin DiAngelo," Medium.org). My other chapter engaging with DiAngelo's number 1 bestseller, offering my own critique of her work, will be uploaded soon.

Chapter 3 Weaponized Epistemology in the Science Warriors' Embrace of Culture Wars: A Defense of White Fragility from a Methodological Pluralist

This is one of two chapters of a book-length manuscript, In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Frag... more This is one of two chapters of a book-length manuscript, In Defense of the Vulnerable: White Fragility, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Interdisciplinary Production of Knowledge, under revisions for peer review at Palgrave that engage with Robin DiAngelo's book, White Fragility. This chapter constitutes a rejoinder to her more assiduous critics, with a particular focus on her most prolific critic, Jonathan Church.