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CASTLES IN THE SAND? AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO PEACEBUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT TO REPATRIATE LEBANON’S INTERNALLY DISPLACED By Amal I. Khoury Submitted to the School of International Service of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In International Relations Chair: .ba Nimer Dr. M ie Mertus Dr. Terrence Lyons Dean of the School of International Service Date 2006 American University Washington D.C. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ^ Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3248950 Copyright 2007 by Khoury, Amal I. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3248950 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CASTLES IN THE SAND? AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO PEACEBUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT TO REPATRIATE LEBANON’S INTERNALLY DISPLACED BY Amal I. Khoury ABSTRACT This dissertation uses a qualitative, constructivist stance to explore both the theoretical linkage between peacebuilding and development as an effective approach to state-building in post-conflict areas and the practical conditions in which development and peacebuilding activities facilitate post-settlement, inter-group accommodation and reconciliation in deeply divided societies. Taking Lebanon as a case study, it focuses on the complex issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a major challenge confronting policy-makers and investigates how development and peacebuilding policies and programs can best promote sustainable return of displaced persons to their homes of origin. This evaluative case study critically examines various organizations' return policies, programs, and projects that target IDPs in Lebanon and assesses whether and how peacebuilding and development initiatives are implemented together within these various policies. Analyzing data collected through interviews, context, archival analysis, document analysis, fieldwork and observation, this dissertation derives lessons on ways in which post-war, ethnically divided societies can be healed and rebuilt. The research finds that, despite shifts in the focus of some programs, traditional approaches to ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. development programs, focusing on political and economic elements, still occupy the center stage of local, national, and international responses to the IDP problem in Lebanon. Given the failure of such efforts, this study concludes that there is a profound need for more comprehensive and integrative approaches to both development and peacebuilding and for a greater emphasis on the social, cultural and human facets of the IDP return process in Lebanon. It provides some lessons and recommendations from which to draw useful ways of integrating peacebuilding and development not only for Lebanon but for other post-conflict areas as well. The importance of this study and its findings will remain of critical importance as policymakers and authorities face new waves of displacement, following the violence in Lebanon in the summer of 2006, and attempt to bring about a more lasting peace and sustainable development in Lebanon. In a more general way, it contributes to new thinking in the areas of international relations, conflict resolution, and development. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Many people have been instrumental to the completion of this dissertation. I am indebted to my mentor and dissertation advisor Mohammed Abu Nimer whose patient guidance and care throughout the process made this undertaking uplifting. No words can express my appreciation. I am also highly grateful to my committee members Marwan Kraidy, Julie Mertus and Terrence Lyons for their continuous encouragement, support, and invaluable advice. I feel fortunate to have worked with all of you; I have learned a lot and have grown as a researcher, scholar and person in the process. The welcoming atmosphere at American University made my years in the Ph.D. program memorable. I am grateful to the School of International Service for a Dissertation Research Fellowship, which made the research and fieldwork possible. I also extend with sincere gratitude my thanks to the professors and staff for enriching my life with knowledge. I would like to thank, among others, Dean Louis Goodman, Professors Abdul Aziz Said, Stephen Silvia, Randolph Persaud, James Mittleman, Clovis Maksoud, Patrick Jackson, and my academic advisor Mary Barton. This dissertation would not have been ready for submission without the help of my editors Alison Long and Jessica Worchel and the expertise of Ignacio Moreno,*the Bender Library Archivist. Thank you all for your help. Throughout this journey, I have greatly benefited from the unwavering support of my colleagues and friends in the program. This achievement would not have been iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. possible without their constant encouragement. I have profited tremendously from our many stimulating debates and conversations, whether in class, over the phone, or over dinners and drinks. I especially want to thank Lynn Kunkle, my other half in the “dynamic duo;” thank you for your friendship, support, faith, and reassurance. You were there for me during the ups and downs all those years and for this I am greatly appreciative. Ines Hoess, Apama Devare and Kiran Pervez have lent their perpetual support, and have read several chapters of the dissertation, providing me with insightful comments and feedback. Their friendship and encouragement were crucial to the completion of this project. I will especially remember the long conversations with my ‘buddy’ Kiran and cherish her unrelenting faith in me. I am also grateful to Christopher Corpora and Ruth Reitan who intellectually challenged me in constructive ways. Ruth and her husband Andy single-handedly made our first year in the program more bearable and even fun over weekly dinners and get-togethers. The many long nights preparing for the comprehensive exams and over the course of writing would not have been possible without the commitment and support of Huong Nguyen; who, in addition to her consider intellectual insights, sustained us with her cooking and healthy food. I also want to thank Anne-Claire Hervy and Lauhona Ganguly for believing in me and constantly encouraging me. Thank you my friends for making me feel at home away from home. This research would not have been possible without the help of the many local experts I had the privilege of connecting with in Lebanon. I appreciate their time, assistance and the invaluable information they provided which made this research so v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. interesting. In particular, I would like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Marwan Hamadeh, Mr. Shadi Masaad, Ms. NaylaNawfal, Mr. Najem al-Hachem, Mr. Wajdi Lutfallah, Mrs. Nancy Maroun, and Mr. Omar Mdawar. I also want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Paul Salem who gave me gave me great advice in the early stages of my research and his guidance throughout the field research. I would also like to thank all my interviewees and all those who took their time to talk with me during my visits to the different offices and villages. I would not have been able to complete this Ph.D. were it not for the support, friendship, and continuous encouragement of my mentors at the American University of Beirut. I would like to especially thank Randa Antoun and Nizar Hamzeh. I am grateful to all my friends who supported and encouraged me throughout the past six years. I specially want to thank Faten Ghosn for her empathy throughout the whole process; Amal Chmouny for her constant encouragement and help in transcribing interviews; Samer el-Kadi, Nader Tabbara, and Nada, Rami, Firas and Danny Dalloul for reminding me that there is life outside and beyond the dissertation. Thank you all for your unconditional friendship. I am certain I will never find the words to fully express my gratitude to my family. I am truly forever indebted to all of you for your unwavering confidence in me, for your encouragement when things were hard, and for sharing in my joy when things were well. To my aunts Katy Alonzo, Doris Zarzar, Hala Irani, Ghada Gholam, and Hala Azar, and to my uncle Nizar Khoury, thank you for all you have done for me. To my grandmother, Rose, I am grateful for your love and inspiration. To Alfred and Dina vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited

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