Full Report on the "Post-War Do’s and Don’ts" Seminar Reconstruction is Creative Reinvention, Not a Return to the Past
| Last update: 2026/10/13 |
During the seminar "Post-War Do’s and Don’ts," Dr. Jabbar Rahmani, a faculty member at the Institute for Social and Cultural Studies (ISCS), asserted that post-war reconstruction should not be viewed as a simple return to the pre-war era. He argued that societies reaching a state of war often possess inherent structural characteristics that led to such an impasse or devastation, and these cannot be blamed solely on external forces. Therefore, reconstruction is a creative act—an invention of a new society based on standards of justice, fairness, "human capabilities," and sustainability.
The seminar, held on Monday, October 5, 2026, was organized by *Siyasatnameh* journal and hosted by the *Saray-e Oloum-e Ensani* (Humanities House).
#### The Genesis of the 12-Volume Collection
At the beginning of the session, Mohsen Azmoudeh, the seminar secretary, introduced the 12-volume research collection as a significant academic achievement. The project was published through the collaborative efforts of the Research Institute for Culture, Art and Communication, the Cultural and Social Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Science, and the Institute for Social and Cultural Studies. The work centers on the experiences of various countries in war and post-war reconstruction.
Dr. Leila Ardabili, an ISCS faculty member, explained the background of this project, noting that it was never intended to be 12 volumes initially. Responding to queries about the speed of such extensive work while the shadow of war still looms, she emphasized that there is a deep philosophy behind it.
"We decided to act on post-war issues because such destruction requires the humanities—especially social sciences—to take the lead," Ardabili noted. "In the past, reconstruction was often dominated by engineering perspectives or politicized agendas. Our argument was that social sciences must intervene proactively."
She explained that the initial goal was to "not reinvent the wheel." By studying conflicts in the Middle East and beyond—including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria—the team sought to understand how other nations built their countries and what errors they committed. They analyzed cases where five-year plans were launched, failed, and subsequently canceled.
Ardabili described how the project expanded: "The first four volumes started with this logic, but gradually a relationship between 'theory and practice' emerged. We addressed policy, then the university as a nation’s 'rational power.' As we observed the city, new questions arose: What happens to the ruins? What about 'dark tourism'? Will everything be bulldozed? These questions led to volumes on post-war reconstruction and tourism." She noted that the work reached 12 volumes by covering diverse experiences from Japan, Germany, and the USSR to the Middle East, ensuring the socio-cultural dimensions remained central.
#### Post-War: More Than the End of Fighting
Dr. Jabbar Rahmani emphasized that "post-war" does not necessarily mean the end of military hostilities. "When a war begins, society is diverted from its previous path into a wartime state. In this condition, there are only two paths: further destruction or reconstruction. This reconstruction is a form of renewal—a creative act."
He argued that one cannot wait for the war to end to begin reconstruction. Mechanisms of power and resource concentration often solidify during the war and do not easily dissolve afterward. "Many serious obstacles to post-war reconstruction are institutionalized during the war; therefore, one cannot wait."
#### The Chess Metaphor and Comparative Experience
Using a chess analogy, Rahmani stated: "You must play your own game, but you cannot exit the rules of the game. Chess has a framework; within that framework, you can be a great hero or a perpetual loser, but judgment is possible." The project aimed to integrate existing domestic literature with global experiences—both failures and successes—to analyze urban restoration, economic activities, governance policies, and the reconstruction of social capital. The aim was to move beyond the situation of 2024 toward a new, optimal status for 2025.
#### War as a Social Issue
Rahmani stressed that war is a social problem. "Physical reconstruction is important, but it is people whose shelters, industries, and technologies are destroyed, and beyond that, whose psyche, nightmares, and social relations are severely damaged." The team avoided purely technical details, arguing that the final judge and evaluator of reconstruction are the people themselves.
#### Q&A and Critical Dialogues
During the Q&A session, an attendee asked whether reconstruction means restoring the destroyed past or building an unrealized future. Rahmani responded: "Reconstruction is not a return to the past. You can build a better house with new conditions. The objective is to take the merits of the past but critically view its flaws to prevent repeating them."
He highlighted the case of Minab, noting two crises: the external attack (the "aggressor") and the internal crisis management and trauma. Seventy percent of the people were displaced, and their mental health was severely damaged by the management of the crisis. He pointed to Volume 7—supervised by Dr. Ardabili—which argues that if the narrative of war is monolithic, it generates trauma.
Dr. Ardabili added that the current challenge is that society cannot imagine a future for itself; it has moved from planning to reacting. "The cognitive infrastructure of the Iranian human is eroding," she warned.
Addressing the "Farangis" case, Ardabili described how engineers reconstructed villages by building houses 100 meters away from the original ruins, ignoring the fact that the entire valley remained a minefield. "The engineer is not to blame; they were told to build. The system of decision-making failed to see the full picture. Reconstruction must be about rebuilding life and society, not just walls."
#### Toward a Collective, Institutional Effort
On the pillars of successful reconstruction, Rahmani outlined four requirements:
1. **Decentralization and Transparency of Power:** Clear accountability.
2. **Democratization of the Political and Social Order:** Broadening participation.
3. **Expansion of Civil Institutions:** Reconstruction must be monitored by civil society, not top-down.
4. **International Engagement:** Utilizing global knowledge and resources.
In the closing discussion, Dr. Hamed Zare raised the issue of a "Theory of Failure." He argued that Iranian humanities have failed to write a "failure history" (akin to the fall of Isfahan), instead constantly promoting resistance and the "conquering of peaks." Rahmani agreed, concluding that the first step toward reconstruction is the "courage to question" and acknowledging that we are currently facing a "cognitive paralysis."
"The idea of this collection," Rahmani concluded, "is to enable a rational reconstruction that allows breathing space for other narratives. Unless we have the courage to ask why we reached this point, no progress can be made."
Keywords: #PostWarReconstruction #ISCS #SocialSciences #Humanities #JabbarRahmani #LeilaArdabili #AcademicResearch #SocialResilience #PolicyMaking #SociologyOfWar |
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