The Broker has a work experience position starting immediately for a work experience position in our Sahel Watch programme, 32-40 hours per week.

Another Perspective is The Broker’s new blog. The title reflects The Broker’s ambition to look at globalization issues in different ways. Through this blog, we also keep our followers up to date on matters that concern us. The first blogpost will be about the discussion on a Theory of Change currently being conducted at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. How do you prevent your perspective from becoming too narrow and how do you take account of changing contexts in formulating and implementing policies?

For more than two years, Mali has been suffering from a sudden eruption of armed conflict. In recent decades, economic, ecological, political and security factors have combined to create fertile ground for conflict. This led to ethnic tensions and, ultimately to a military coup. The situation is embedded in broader geopolitical rivalries involving ethnic militias and Islamist groups, other African countries including Algeria and Libya, Middle-Eastern countries like Qatar and Western governments, including France and the Netherlands. A narrow focus on national military approaches and statebuilding will therefore not take the sting out of the conflict.

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Mali’s democracy collapsed after a nine-month civil war. The West-African country that has been cheered internationally for its peaceful multi-ethnic and secular democracy, high growth rates and modern approach to religion. In 2012, this changes dramatically. A once cheered example for democracy is torn apart along ethnic lines. Civil war breaks out after massive Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country and the defeated army stages a coup d’état in the south. Military responses have proven to be insufficient as they relocate the problem. Rather, a socio-economic approach that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict in the Sahel, along with bottom-up governance initiatives and regulation, supported by the international community can contribute to the conflict.

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