Reclaiming a lost half-century in LibyaHafed Al-GhwellLibya's former President Gaddafi listens to national anthems at Bab Azizia Palace in Tripoli. What does a “Libyan state” even look like? That long pre-2011 era did nothing to etch out and formalize the foundations on which a future, stable Libyan state could establish itself regardless of who held power, or even how. Thus, by elevating the local, Libyan municipalities, local councils, community organizations or some other sub-national authorities are better able to temporarily assume the functions of a weak and mostly inept centralized authority. A number of these initiatives include budding efforts at improving local governance as well as engaging civil society’s vast array of complementary expertise and lived experiences to better support overwhelmed municipalities.
