Name: New rules for rebuilding a broken nation
Uploaded: 2009-06-24T01:00:00Z
Duration: 16 min 17 s
Description: Long conflict can wreck a country, leaving behind poverty and chaos. But what's the right way to help war-torn countries rebuild? At TED@State, Paul Collier explains the problems with current post-conflict aid plans, and suggests 3 ideas for a better approach.

Long conflict can wreck a country, leaving behind poverty and chaos. But what's the right way to help war-torn countries rebuild? At TED@State, Paul Collier explains the problems with current post-conflict aid plans, and suggests 3 ideas for a better approach.

New rules for rebuilding a broken nation

Lasting recovery after war depends on reversing the usual order of rebuilding. Half of all civil wars begin again within a decade, showing that quick political fixes and short-term peacekeepers often fail. True stability comes from decade-long commitments to security, jobs, and honest services. Real change happens when prosperity replaces stagnation and young people find real work instead of falling back into conflict.