Focusing on the dynamics of resource-dependent nations, the paper explores the interplay between natural resources and conflict, highlighting the economic and political vulnerabilities these countries face. It examines how resource wealth can exacerbate tensions and evaluates ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing resource governance to promote peace and stability.
Resource Dependence, Governance and Violence
Exploring the paradox of resource-rich nations, the book delves into the 'resource curse' that hinders economic and social progress despite abundant natural wealth. It highlights how exploitative commercial practices, corrupt governance, and conflict have devastated the lives of millions in regions like the Persian Gulf and West Africa. By analyzing the intricate dynamics of misgovernance and the violent geopolitics surrounding raw materials, it challenges conventional views on resource competition and sheds light on the complexities faced by these countries.
Oil pulses through our daily lives. It is the plastic we touch, the food we eat, and the way we move. Oil politics in the twentieth century was about the management of abundance, state power, and market growth.