Statehood and Statebuilding in Haiti

When former President Aristide was ousted from power in February 2004, Haiti experienced the latest in a string of more than 30 coups d'etat in the 200 year history since its independence. Albeit the first independent state to abolish slavery in the new world, social inequality has prevailed in Haitian history and led to a continuous struggle over political power, the state and it's institutions. Foreign interventions, on the other hand, are as old as Haiti's history of political and social instability and have had little success in stabilizing the country. Why did the aid of the international community not have the desired impact of stabilizing statehood in Haiti? The author Sophie Herrmann presents an overview of the current debates on statehood and state failure, the concepts and their premises and shows how they have shaped aid interventions and attempts of nation building in Haiti. The implications of the interventions, however, can only be understood when put into the context of the historical struggle for statehood in Haiti and previous manipulation by foreign powers. This contextualization addresses precisely the aspects that concepts of state weakness fail to capture. The book is geared towards an academic audience in Political Science and those interested in international relations, as well as decision makers in bi- and multilateral organizations concerned with (post-) conflict countries and peace-building.