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Key Text Topic Guide on Conflict

Author: Huma Haider
Date: 2009
Size: 157 pages (1 MB)

Summary

The impact of violent conflict on a country’s society, economy and political governance is devastating and encompassing. The effects can be tangible and visible, including killed and injured civilians, destroyed or derelict bridges and wells, and damaged or inadequate health care and education facilities. They can also be intangible, such as the collapse of state institutions, mistrust in government, the disruption of social cohesion, psychological trauma and pervasive fear. These impacts can be long lasting, hindering the peaceful development of societies. An understanding of the causes and dynamics of violent conflict and the careful design of conflict prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding activities are essential to avoid violence in the first place, or to alleviate its harmful outcomes.

This extensive topic guide provides an overview of key topics ranging from the causes, dynamics and impacts of conflict to options for interventions to prevent, manage and respond to conflict. It is divided into five main parts:

Chapter 1, ‘Understanding violent conflict’, discusses the causes, dynamics and impact of violent conflict, and profiles tools for conflict analysis and conflict sensitive development.
Chapter 2, ‘Living in conflict-affected areas: focus on women, children and youth’, highlights the distinct ways in which these often marginalised actors experience and suffer from conflict and the varying roles that they can play in conflict and peacebuilding.
Chapter 3, ‘Preventing and managing violent conflict’, looks at a range of conflict prevention activities, including early warning and early response systems - while emphasising the persistent neglect of these important approaches. The chapter also examines areas of conflict management, including negotiation, mediation, peace agreements, local conflict management and peacekeeping.
Chapter 4, ‘Recovering from violent conflict’, explores the challenges of post-conflict recovery. Evaluations of international interventions in conflict-affected countries have found that although the international community has been effective in ending armed conflict, it has been less successful in its post-peace agreement efforts. The chapter discusses humanitarian aid, early recovery and stabilisation. It also provides coverage of a wide range of peacebuilding processes and activities, including governance programming, economic recovery, and social renewal.
Chapter 5, ‘Intervening in conflict-affected areas’, looks at the wide range of actors involved in conflict and peacebuilding interventions, including the private sector and the media, and outlines international and regional peace and security architecture. It also provides tools for monitoring and evaluation.

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Source: Haider, H., 2009, 'Topic Guide on Conflict', Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC), Birmingham UK
Author: Huma Haider , huma@gsdrc.org
Organisation: Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, http://www.gsdrc.org/