SPP Research Team Visits Sarajevo

From February 3 to 7 a CCNR research team visited Sarajevo to see whether that city's reconstruction held any lessons for the future rebuilding of Aleppo, Syria. Speaking with NGOs, international organizations, PhD researchers and others, the team emphasized that the ultimate goal was to avoid "reinventing the wheel," ensure the voice of refugees and other marginalized communities is heard, and avoid pitfalls commonly present when large sums of money and many actors convene to rebuild. Topics included the reconstruction of heritage downtown sites, new commercial space, corruption issues, and housing for returnees; the team identified several procedural and political considerations that could prove useful once Syria reconstruction begins in earnest.