Lecture poster featuring the gardens at 1 Devonshire place.

This year’s guest speaker is Professor Deborah Avant from the University of Denver.  To register for these events, please go here: https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/events/

Frank W. Woods Lecture

Who really affects violence in conflict?: The roles of non-state actors

Though traditional analyses focus on states or armed actors to explain the course of conflict, non-state and often unarmed actors as varied as civilian groups, labor unions, companies, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations have all affected both the course of conflicts and the degree to which they are violent. This lecture draws together different arguments about these non-state actors and how they might affect violence, explores their plausibility in particular instances, and describes how ongoing research incorporating non-state actors changes the way we think about violence and conflict.

5:00pm-7:00pm on November 5, 2015

The Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility, Munk School of Global Affairs
1 Devonshire Place

Frank W. Woods Lunchtime Lecture

In 2004 transnational governance of private military and security companies was ineffective. Ten years later, however, an agreed upon framework drew these services within established international law, inspired various complementary non-binding instruments, and instigated changes in government policy. Though hegemonic arguments of both realist and liberal sorts would expect this to be a product of change in US preferences, the US had no interest in transnational coordination at the start. Drawing on pragmatism and network theory I demonstrate how generating connections around a problem, and the process that ensued, was responsible for this shift toward more effective governance. A Swiss-led process created connections among stakeholders around a problem. Relatively open interactions spurred original ideas that appeared useful. Usefulness produced greater buy in. This relational pragmatic account offers a fresh perspective on what governance is and when we should expect it. This explanation is crucial to understanding this case and likely to be valuable for both explaining (and constructing) governance in other contemporary issues.

12:00pm-2:00pm on November 6, 2015

108N, North House, Munk School of Global Affairs
1 Devonshire Place