Teaching Notes for CHAPTER 16: Whole of Society Conflict Prevention: Kenya’s Contrasted with Afghanistan and Iraq

Teaching Notes for Whole of Society Conflict Prevention: Kenya’s Contrasted with Afghanistan and Iraq, by Lisa Schirch. This case study looks at the three inter-related concepts; conflict prevention, civil society, and a whole of society or comprehensive approach. It compares and contrasts the Whole of Society Approach to Conflict Prevention in Kenya with Afghanistan and Iraq. A brief literature review outlines the relevance of these three concepts to current security discussions. Lessons from what worked in Kenya and other countries illuminate the successes and failures of civil society efforts at conflict prevention in Iraq and Afghanistan where attention focused largely on the state and not civil society. In sum, the case study raises questions about how Coalition Forces have related to Afghan civil society since 2001 and in Iraq since 2003 and how they could have related in a way that better achieved US goals in reducing insurgency and building a stable democracy