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Policies Towards Horizontal Inequalities in Post-Conflict Reconstruction

Author: F Stewart
Date: 2006
Size: 42 pages (813 KB)

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Summary

Horizontal Inequalities (HIs) are a major potential source of conflict. In cases where they are identified as a significant cause of conflict they must be addressed to avoid further outbreaks of violence. What types of policies reduce HIs in post-conflict settings? What are the potential risks of such policies? This working paper, from the Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), considers the types of policies likely to reduce HIs and discusses evidence of how far post-conflict policies in Mozambique and Guatemala have taken HI considerations into account.

HIs are inequalities among groups whose boundaries are culturally determined - for example, by ethnicity, race or religion. Though group boundaries are generally rather fluid, leaders are able to call on cultural affiliations to mobilise support for violent actions where there are severe and consistent economic, social and political differences among these groups. These HIs can be categorised into four areas: political participation; economic assets; incomes and employment; and social aspects.

HIs are more likely to provoke conflict where groups have sizeable numbers, their boundaries are relatively impermeable and they are sufficiently cohesive for collective action. In addition, conflict is more likely where:

• HIs are durable, sustained and widening over time
• Aggregate incomes are stagnant/slow growing
• Leaders are not co-opted into the ruling system
• Government is irresponsive or proactively repressive.

Liberalisation and market forces are not generally sufficient to control or reduce HIs. Specific social, economic and political policies towards correcting HIs are needed. There is no one size fits all solution and it is important to identify which of the many elements of HIs are particularly salient. Overall, there are three cautions in the design of effective policies:

• Policies that involve targets and quotas may sometimes entrench ethnicities, but they do not need to do so if they are accompanied by cultural and education policies to promote ethnic cohesion.
• It is important to be cautious in introducing policies to correct HIs so as not to provoke violent reaction from those who are losing privileges.
• Action to correct political HIs may need to precede economic action to ensure favourable political conditions. Peace negotiations are an occasion where comprehensive political participation and economic balance can and should be discussed.

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Source: Stewart, F., undated, ‘Policies Towards Horizontal Inequalities in Post-Conflict Reconstruction’, Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford