New book and keynote address by BU prof show potential in power-sharing

A woman in glasses stands in front of a leafy background.
Dr. Allison McCulloch

A new book of collected essays co-edited by Dr. Allison McCulloch explores how power-sharing can support political peace using examples from across the global south.

Power-Sharing in the Global South: Patterns, Practices and Potentials includes 15 essays that offer individual case studies and comparative perspectives about the framework of power-sharing in places as varied as Colombia, Ethiopia, Lebanon and Malaysia.

Dr. McCulloch, a Professor and Chair of Political Science at BU, also co-authored one of the essays, about women’s rights reforms in Lebanon, as well as co-writing the book’s conclusion.

“Power-sharing is a popular approach after conflict, but it is only sometimes successful,” Dr. McCulloch said. “This book brings a clear focus on specific case studies to see what works, when, and where. It has direct implications for global security and humanitarian concerns.”

Book cover, featuring a green tile background and the title "Power-Sharing in the Global South"

Power-Sharing in the Global South: Patterns, Practices and Potentials was published by Palgrave Macmillan and is part of a series on Federalism and Internal Conflicts. Along with Dr. McCulloch, it was co-edited by Dr. Eduardo Wassim Aboultaif, Assistant Professor of politics at the Higher Institute of Political and Administrative Sciences in the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon, and by Dr. Soeren Keil, Academic Head of the International Research and Consulting Centre at the Institute of Federalism, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

Dr. McCulloch also delivered a keynote address at the end of February, at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Research Annual Conference at University College Dublin. This lecture, “Still a Case of Political Prescription? Power-Sharing and the Future of Inclusive Conflict Management,” delved into the challenges of negotiating power-sharing settlements and suggested it might be time to rethink power-sharing as a prescriptive device in divided settings.

The lecture drew insights from Dr. McCulloch’s contributions to the “Power-Sharing for Peace? Between Adoptability and Durability in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq” research project, funded by the Swiss Network for International Studies.

“Dr. McCulloch is an innovative researcher, internationally recognized expert and leader, and dedicated faculty member. These remarkable recent accomplishments demonstrate her outstanding success and the contributions she is making not only to the pursuit of knowledge, but to peace and security around the world,” said BU Dean of Arts Dr. Gregory Kennedy. “As Chair of the Department of Political Science, Dr. McCulloch further demonstrates her leadership, making exemplary contributions to the well-being and success of faculty and students at Brandon University.”

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