Dr Oliver Walton

 

Research Fellow, Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC)

International Development Department

Contact details

Telephone +44 (0)121 414 7592

Email o.e.walton@bham.ac.uk

International Development Department
School of Government and Society
Muirhead Tower
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham,
B15 2TT, United Kingdom

Qualifications

PhD (Development Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London)

MSc Violence, Conflict and Development (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London)

BA History (Queens’ College, University of Cambridge)

Biography

Oliver joined the GSDRC in May 2010. Shortly before this he completed a PhD in the Development Studies department at SOAS, University of London entitled ‘Negotiating War and the Liberal Peace: National NGOs, legitimacy and the politics of peacebuilding in Sri Lanka 2006-7’, which explored the processes of legitimation and de-legitimation that surrounded NGOs’ engagement in peacebuilding during a peace to war transition.  He has worked for NGOs in Sri Lanka and the UK and has experience of working as a consultant for a number of agencies including DFID and NORAD. 

Teaching

Critical Approaches to Development

Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development

NGOs in a Changing International Environment

Research

Research interests

  • NGO legitimacy
  • Civil society peacebuilding
  • Conflict prevention
  • War to peace transitions
  • Sri Lankan politics

Publications

  • Journal articles

Walton, O. (2012) ‘Peace Building Without Using the Word “Peace”’: National NGOs’ Reputational Management Strategies During a Peace-to-War Transition in Sri Lanka’, Critical Asian Studies, 44:3, 363–390

Walton, O. (2012) ‘Between War and the Liberal Peace: The Politics of NGO Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka’, International Peacekeeping, Vol. 20, No.1.

Goodhand, J. and Walton, O. (2009) ‘The Limits of Liberal Peacebuilding: international engagement in the Sri Lankan peace process’, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 3: 3, pp. 302-323 

Walton, O. (2008) ‘Conflict, peacebuilding and NGO Legitimacy: National NGOs in Sri Lanka’, Journal of Conflict, Development and Security, Volume 8, Issue 1 April 2008, pp. 133-167    

  • Book Chapters

Goodhand, J. and Walton, O. (2011) 'Public vs. Private Power: NGOs and International Security' in  B. McKercher (ed.)  The Routledge Handbook of Diplomacy and Statecraft, Routledge, New York.

Walton, O. with Saravanamuttu, P. (2011) ‘In the Balance: Civil society and the peace process 2002-2008’ in J. Goodhand, B. Korf & J. Spencer (eds.) Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka: Caught in the Peace Trap?, Routledge, London

  • Book Reviews
Walton, O. (2011) 'Aid, Peacebuilding and the Resurgence of War: Buying Time in Sri Lanka', Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 547-548
  • Conference Papers and presentations

Walton, O. (2011) ''Everything is Politics': Understanding the Political Dimensions of NGO Legitimacy in Conflict-Affected Regions (Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Palestinian Territories), Charities and Legitimacy Workshop, Bogazici University, Istanbul. 

Walton, O. (2011) 'Military Victor in Sri Lanka: Reflecting on Contemporary Trends in Conflict Resolution and Civil War Termination', New Perspectives on Conflict and Security Conference, University of Birmingham 

Walton, O. (2010) '‘Peacebuilding without using the word peace: NGOs' strategies of reputational management during the peace to war transition in Sri Lanka’, Development Studies Seminar Series, SOAS, University of London

Walton, O. (2009) ‘”They are not engaging in politics according to our criteria”. NGO legitimacy, politics and peacebuilding in Sri Lanka 2006-7’, paper presented at BASAS Annual Conference, University of Edinburgh

Walton, O. (2008) ‘”Peacebuilding without using the word peace”: National NGOs and reputational crisis management’, paper presented at workshop on ‘Disaster, Aid and Conflict: Sri Lanka in the context of War and Post-Tsunami Aid’ workshop, University of Berne

Goodhand, J. and Walton, O. (2009) ‘Boundary Politics and (il)liberal peacebuilding’, presentation at LSE Civil Society Seminar Series

Goodhand, J. and Walton, O. (2008) ‘The Limits of Liberal Peacebuilding? International engagement in the Sri Lankan peace process’, paper presented at the BASAS Annual Conference, University of Leicester

Goodhand, J. and Walton, O. (2007) 'International Dimensions of the conflict in Sri Lanka', Paper presented at the CJPD Seminar, Luzern, Switzerland

Expertise

Sri Lanka, particularly issues of conflict and peace; Sri Lankan politics and the role of charities or non-governmental organisations (NGOs); NGOs and issues of legitimacy; peacebuilding and statebuilding; peace processes; conflict prevention and resolution

Alternative contact number available for this expert: contact the press office

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