Thought Leadership

2010 - Fault-Lines

All nations have fault lines. The most salient division may be between regions, ethnic groups, religions, language groupings or races. There is no nation that was simply born whole.

In some states the fault lines become battle lines while other states develop institutions and practices to manage those divisions in a manner that promotes unity and security, or at least prevents the outbreak of mass violence. Much is written about why states fail when fighting erupts around their fault lines. Less is understood about how states surmount fault lines, especially what key attributes of government are necessary to allow them to surmount the inevitable divisions amongst peoples.

In conjunction with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and other partners, The Brenthurst Foundation has drawn together 18 specialists at three international events in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to examine why some countries fracture around these divisions, why others don’t, and what the international community can do to assist. More than a dozen country papers covering countries from Afghanistan through Iraq, Israel, India and Brazil to Kenya, Rwanda and Congo have been commissioned.