When outside organizations and countries, such as the United Nations and the United States, work to help a state make the transition from war to peace, dealing with corruption is often a major challenge. Outsiders can choose to ignore the corruption (facing certain negative consequences down the road), deal with it directly, or work with the host society to change customs and expectations. For those who hope to prevent violent conflict, how can their efforts to reduce, if not eliminate, corruption best contribute to building sustainable peace?

In 1,500 words:

Choose two cases from the past twenty years of countries in transition from war to peace, one successful and the other unsuccessful. Analyze how third parties handled issues of potential and actual corruption.

What forms of corruption developed and why? How did corruption affect the peacebuilding institutions and processes?

Why did one country fail and the other succeed in making the transition from war to peace? How did efforts of outside parties to address corruption contribute to the success or failure?

Finally, what recommendations would you give to third parties about addressing corruption that would prevent conflict and enhance the prospects of building sustainable peace in countries emerging from war?