Can employment build peace? A pseudo-meta-analysis of employment programmes in Africa

N.T.N. Ferguson*, E. Nillesen, T. Brück

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

We examine an implicit theory of change in multiple strands of development programming — that a desired outcome can be brought about by programming typologies that aim to spur development in another area. In what we call a “pseudo-meta-analysis” across five African countries, we link the location of employment programs to stability-related outcomes. While we show some positive impacts, specifically on fear of crime, these outcomes are far from universal. We conclude that there are some grounds for optimism but more case studies are required at the programmatic level.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)99-101
Number of pages3
JournalEconomics Letters
Volume180
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2019

JEL classifications

  • e24 - "Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital"
  • q52 - "Pollution Control Adoption Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects"

Keywords

  • Africa
  • Employment
  • Employment for peace
  • Externalities
  • Meta-analysis
  • Peacebuilding
  • VIOLENCE
  • CRIME

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