The New Colonialists? How NGOs and Private Citizens Are Transforming State Sovereignty

Michael A. Cohen, Senior Research Fellow, New America Foundation

Sixty countries are unable to meet the basic requirements of statehood, as recently reported by the Brookings Institution. What is standing between these states and a spiral into dissolution or, worse, anarchy? Cohen explains how the “new colonialists” of the 21st century – aid agencies, international charities, philanthropists and foreign advisors – are stepping into roles as providers of basic health care, education and security.