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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Foreign assistance, conflict management and conflict mitigation
>> Foreign Aid in the National Interest >> Chapter 4 >> Foreign assistance, conflict management and conflict mitigation Jump to Chapter 4 Sections:
>> Conflicts since the Cold War >> Understanding conflict >> Windows of vulnerability and opportunity >> Foreign assistance, conflict management and conflict mitigation >> Guiding principles for encouraging stability >> Notes >> Background paper >> References
In thinking about how foreign assistance can influence the causes of conflict discussed above, it is useful to think about overt violence or open conflict as the middle part of a continuum dividing the stages of conflict, from before to after. At either end of the continuum is relative stability, not perfect harmony. Disagreements, divisions, and disputes still exist, but institutions can manage and channel them.
The closer a country moves toward conflict, the less able or willing leaders and institutions are to manage sources of tension and strain and the stronger those sources become. Factors that facilitate the mobilization and expansion of violence-large pools of unemployed young men, financial flows from diaspora communities, extremist ethnic militias, hate campaigns in the media-become more visible and important. In addition, elite manipulation of identity is likely to become more pronounced, as is opportunistic economic behavior.
The following activities show several ways that foreign assistance can break into the chain of events that fuel conflict.
Young people and violence
While research has shown a link between large youth cohorts and violence, large numbers of young people need not be destabilizing-and in fact, can be an extraordinary resource for positive change. At the heart of whether this group is an easy target for those seeking to mobilize violence is whether the existing system can offer them hope for a viable future. In this respect, working with local governments and business groups to generate youth employment may be among the most important contributions that foreign assistance can make to conflict management and mitigation -particularly if these efforts are targeted to extremely vulnerable populations of young people, such as young men in urban areas.
Gearing education to available job opportunities and relevant skills training is another important intervention. And outside the economic realm there are a broad range of activities-sporting events, health programs, cultural events, environmental activities, democratic education, political participation-that can draw out the constructive rather than destructive potential of young people.
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Last Updated on: October 07, 2009 |
