Aditya Sarkar | Tufts University (original) (raw)
Papers by Aditya Sarkar
Oxford University Press eBooks, Sep 30, 2022
Working Today for a Better Tomorrow in Ethiopia: Jobs for Poor and Vulnerable Households, 2024
Conflict and internal displacement have upended the livelihoods of millions of Ethiopians, especi... more Conflict and internal displacement have upended the livelihoods of millions of Ethiopians, especially in the past few years. Despite the unprecedented involvement of safety net programs in addressing this crisis, livelihood support for displaced people is weak. The Ethiopian social protection system should prepare now to respond better to future displacement shocks. This chapter was written by Aditya Sarkar, , and .
The Indian Legal Profession in the Age of Globalization
Conflict Research Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science, Mar 1, 2021
In 2017, the UN raised the alarm on famines in North-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen... more In 2017, the UN raised the alarm on famines in North-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. Starvation has been used as a weapon of war in Syria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo currently has among the largest numbers of severely food-insecure people of any country assessed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system. Each of these sites of mass starvation or famine can be understood as a ‘political marketplace’. They are characterised by the dominance of transactional politics over public institutions, and elite politics is conducted for factional or personal political advantage, on the basis of monetised patronage. This paper examines the relationship between these systems of transactional politics and famine and other forms of mass starvation, and outlines the implications of the political marketplace framework for humanitarian action. It argues that both transactional politics and mass starvation emerge from particular political-economic con...
Conflict Research Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science, May 26, 2021
Research Papers in Economics, 2019
This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research P... more This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research Programme, which provides comparative research on the drivers of conflict and ‘what works’ to reduce violence in five of the world’s most affected countries: Syria, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan and the DRC. The findings are relevant for other conflicts, for example, Afghanistan, Yemen or the Sahel. The paper is written to inform the UK Integrated Review and the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The paper argues that the UK can only reduce global conflict unilaterally by working with partners, including through the multilateral system. This requires a decade-long, joined-up strategic approach focused on reducing conflict by applying the best diplomatic, development and defence resources available. Adopting such an approach would enable policymakers to continuously assess how UK and partner interventions interact with conflict at regional, national and local levels...
The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic op... more The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic opportunity in one of the world’s most challenging regions for security and development. Within the region, extreme poverty, vulnerability, fragility, and food insecurity are disproportionately concentrated in the arid and remote border regions. But despite its challenges, there are areas in the borderlands with real economic potential. For example, the region's international borders have long allowed communities to benefit from price differentials through licit and illicit trade (Scott-Villiers 2015). Pastoralism and trade, the dominant livelihoods in the Horn of Africa, require the easy movement of people and goods within and across borders—and continue to heavily rely on cross-country clan and ethnic affiliations. Local institutions therefore still play a key role in regulating and facilitating economic activity and managing conflict, especially as the formal institutions are often ...
The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic op... more The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic opportunity in one of the world’s most challenging regions for security and development. Within the region, extreme poverty, vulnerability, fragility, and food insecurity are disproportionately concentrated in the arid and remote border regions. But despite its challenges, there are areas in the borderlands with real economic potential. For example, the region's international borders have long allowed communities to benefit from price differentials through licit and illicit trade (Scott-Villiers 2015). Pastoralism and trade, the dominant livelihoods in the Horn of Africa, require the easy movement of people and goods within and across borders—and continue to heavily rely on cross-country clan and ethnic affiliations. Local institutions therefore still play a key role in regulating and facilitating economic activity and managing conflict, especially as the formal institutions are often ...
In political systems that we identify as ‘violent political marketplaces’, policy priorities for ... more In political systems that we identify as ‘violent political marketplaces’, policy priorities for democracy activists and external actors include ending armed conflict, building governance institutions in a postconflict setting, reforming the security sector, and promoting democracy and/or justice. How can policymakers and activists formulate evidence-based theories of change to help guide them in the pursuit of these goals? This question is the focus of this memorandum.
Conflict Research Programme; London School of Economics and Political Science, 2020
This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research P... more This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research Programme, which provides comparative research on the drivers of conflict and ‘what works’ to reduce violence in five of the world’s most affected countries: Syria, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan and the DRC. The findings are relevant for other conflicts, for example, Afghanistan, Yemen or the Sahel. The paper is written to inform the UK Integrated Review and the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The paper argues that the UK can only reduce global conflict unilaterally by working with partners, including through the multilateral system. This requires a decade-long, joined-up strategic approach focused on reducing conflict by applying the best diplomatic, development and defence resources available. Adopting such an approach would enable policymakers to continuously assess how UK and partner interventions interact with conflict at regional, national and local levels and to adapt them accordingly.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Sep 30, 2022
Working Today for a Better Tomorrow in Ethiopia: Jobs for Poor and Vulnerable Households, 2024
Conflict and internal displacement have upended the livelihoods of millions of Ethiopians, especi... more Conflict and internal displacement have upended the livelihoods of millions of Ethiopians, especially in the past few years. Despite the unprecedented involvement of safety net programs in addressing this crisis, livelihood support for displaced people is weak. The Ethiopian social protection system should prepare now to respond better to future displacement shocks. This chapter was written by Aditya Sarkar, , and .
The Indian Legal Profession in the Age of Globalization
Conflict Research Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science, Mar 1, 2021
In 2017, the UN raised the alarm on famines in North-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen... more In 2017, the UN raised the alarm on famines in North-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. Starvation has been used as a weapon of war in Syria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo currently has among the largest numbers of severely food-insecure people of any country assessed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system. Each of these sites of mass starvation or famine can be understood as a ‘political marketplace’. They are characterised by the dominance of transactional politics over public institutions, and elite politics is conducted for factional or personal political advantage, on the basis of monetised patronage. This paper examines the relationship between these systems of transactional politics and famine and other forms of mass starvation, and outlines the implications of the political marketplace framework for humanitarian action. It argues that both transactional politics and mass starvation emerge from particular political-economic con...
Conflict Research Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science, May 26, 2021
Research Papers in Economics, 2019
This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research P... more This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research Programme, which provides comparative research on the drivers of conflict and ‘what works’ to reduce violence in five of the world’s most affected countries: Syria, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan and the DRC. The findings are relevant for other conflicts, for example, Afghanistan, Yemen or the Sahel. The paper is written to inform the UK Integrated Review and the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The paper argues that the UK can only reduce global conflict unilaterally by working with partners, including through the multilateral system. This requires a decade-long, joined-up strategic approach focused on reducing conflict by applying the best diplomatic, development and defence resources available. Adopting such an approach would enable policymakers to continuously assess how UK and partner interventions interact with conflict at regional, national and local levels...
The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic op... more The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic opportunity in one of the world’s most challenging regions for security and development. Within the region, extreme poverty, vulnerability, fragility, and food insecurity are disproportionately concentrated in the arid and remote border regions. But despite its challenges, there are areas in the borderlands with real economic potential. For example, the region's international borders have long allowed communities to benefit from price differentials through licit and illicit trade (Scott-Villiers 2015). Pastoralism and trade, the dominant livelihoods in the Horn of Africa, require the easy movement of people and goods within and across borders—and continue to heavily rely on cross-country clan and ethnic affiliations. Local institutions therefore still play a key role in regulating and facilitating economic activity and managing conflict, especially as the formal institutions are often ...
The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic op... more The World Bank Group's Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic opportunity in one of the world’s most challenging regions for security and development. Within the region, extreme poverty, vulnerability, fragility, and food insecurity are disproportionately concentrated in the arid and remote border regions. But despite its challenges, there are areas in the borderlands with real economic potential. For example, the region's international borders have long allowed communities to benefit from price differentials through licit and illicit trade (Scott-Villiers 2015). Pastoralism and trade, the dominant livelihoods in the Horn of Africa, require the easy movement of people and goods within and across borders—and continue to heavily rely on cross-country clan and ethnic affiliations. Local institutions therefore still play a key role in regulating and facilitating economic activity and managing conflict, especially as the formal institutions are often ...
In political systems that we identify as ‘violent political marketplaces’, policy priorities for ... more In political systems that we identify as ‘violent political marketplaces’, policy priorities for democracy activists and external actors include ending armed conflict, building governance institutions in a postconflict setting, reforming the security sector, and promoting democracy and/or justice. How can policymakers and activists formulate evidence-based theories of change to help guide them in the pursuit of these goals? This question is the focus of this memorandum.
Conflict Research Programme; London School of Economics and Political Science, 2020
This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research P... more This paper summarises research from four years of the DFID-funded and LSE-led Conflict Research Programme, which provides comparative research on the drivers of conflict and ‘what works’ to reduce violence in five of the world’s most affected countries: Syria, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan and the DRC. The findings are relevant for other conflicts, for example, Afghanistan, Yemen or the Sahel. The paper is written to inform the UK Integrated Review and the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The paper argues that the UK can only reduce global conflict unilaterally by working with partners, including through the multilateral system. This requires a decade-long, joined-up strategic approach focused on reducing conflict by applying the best diplomatic, development and defence resources available. Adopting such an approach would enable policymakers to continuously assess how UK and partner interventions interact with conflict at regional, national and local levels and to adapt them accordingly.