Reconstruction , development and diplomatic initiatives require at least as much funding and resources as any military initiative
We cannot fund security efforts at high levels while simultaneously short-changing diplomatic and development efforts , and hope for sustainable success . Successful development does not simply mean that more facilities were built . Facilities require maintenance , and deciding upon their nature and placement requires a great deal of public consultation , as well as oversight and systems of accountability . In far too many instances , these elements were missing in the Iraq reconstruction . 35 36 More deeply , development and peacebuilding alike require long , sustained engagement across and throughout a population to ensure the inclusion of marginalized populations , nurture relationships and build political consensus .
Likewise , democratic governance does not simply mean the existence of political parties and a recurrent , legitimate election process . Democratic governance implies a long process of peacebuilding , resulting in a resilient and cohesive society willing to work together to achieve goals that transcend the individual wants of the sub-groups within it . The former can be achieved quite rapidly with enough resources committed to the purpose . In absence of the latter , however , it will invariably fail .
Successful reconstruction is more than a matter of resources . In fact it is strongly arguable that underfunding of diplomatic and development efforts is a chronic problem , as the combined total allocated for non-military foreign assistance amounts to less
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