The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 21 The Larger Challenges in the Post-Westphalian World Getting the Westphalian part of the globe back on track is a tall order. But the work will only be complete if you are able to restore some order to the failed and fragile states that make up the post- Westphalian world. We need a return address for threats, and we need partners. Americans have developed a love-hate relationship with nation-building, with the result that we have never developed the tools to address the “fragile state” phenomenon adequately. In reality, there have been more successes than most Americans are aware of—some a result of United Nations action (Mozambique, El Salvador, South Africa), some from regional actors (Australia in East Timor), some bilateral (the United States in Colombia or the United Kingdom in Sierra Leone) and some hybrid (the United States, U.N. and E.U. in the Balkans). What they all have in common is a focus on the political structure that makes up a nation and the institution-building that strengthens the supporting state. Both are essential. The U.S. government has little to offer either in terms of developing political structure or building institutions that is not simply an ad hoc application of people and resources pulled from various institutions. You might consider developing the means to more actively influence political transitions and democratic consolidations, and a more systematic means of delivering civilian security assis- tance and institution-building (e.g., police, courts, ministries and anti-corruption measures). Some of this would come from fully implementing and further evolving the recommendations of the 2010 Quadrennial Defense and Development Review ( Leading Through Civilian Power ), while drawing from the many other ideas out there. You could start with the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Center for a New American Security and the Carnegie Insti- tute’s U.S. Leadership and the Challenge of State Fragility. (The work of Rufus Phillips at the National Strategy Information Cen- ter, Fostering Positive Political Change, is also worth your time.) There may be states that are destined to fail, but there are a host of others that can avoid failure. And there are some failed states that can undoubtedly be brought back to health. Your Partners at State Through all of this, your Department of State employees will remain on the front lines. Here are some of the places where we can actively support your work on this daunting agenda: • Calling Mr./Ms. X: The originator of the containment doc- trine, Foreign Service Officer George Kennan, had an unusual