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Appreciative Inquiry in a Failed State: the case of Iraq
Randal Joy Thompson
Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation
Baghdad, Iraq
2009, Jun 20
Annotation: Failed states, characterized by instability and random and pernicious violence, are considered incapable of governing themselves and of providing protection to their citizenry. Classified as a failed state since the U.S. invasion in 2003, Iraq has struggled to reconstruct itself in the midst of persistent insurgency. Iraqis live in constant fear of their lives. Iraqis also view themselves as the unwilling victims of an occupation which, although they were generally happy that it rid them of Saddam’s regime, is viewed as annoying, if not dictatorial. In such an environment, negativity and a problem-orientation are endemic. The author engaged staff of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation (MoPDC) in an Appreciative Inquiry and discovered that Iraqis are not only capable of focusing on the positive, but that such an approach serves as the appropriate orientation to envision and define a new future for their country. After summarizing the results of the Appreciative Inquiry, the author argues that this approach should be expanded to facilitate Iraq’s transition to its stated vision and to becoming a stable, successful state.
Resource Files:
Appreciative Inqiury (doc )
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(submitted by Randal Thompson)
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