Guides
index
INCORE
guide to Internet sources on Aid & Conflict
Resources
compiled by Jessica Blomqvist (June 2005)
Contents
This
guide contains internet sources that have content relating
to the subject of "Aid and Conflict". It covers the
categories of aid that are often described as development aid
and humanitarian aid.
Inclusion
in this guide does not imply an endorsement by INCORE of the
views expressed in any of these sources. If you have a complaint
about this guide or believe that we have omitted a relevant
source please read our information about the guides before
writing to us. You may find that this will answer some of your
questions. This includes a warning about the type of information
included in the guide, information about our 'criteria for
inclusion' in the guides and about our 'updating and additions
policy'.
Primary
Documents
Human
Development Report 2003 - Millennium Development Goals: A
Compact among Nations to End Human Poverty
The
Millennium Development Goals are aimed at the eradication of
poverty, promotion of human dignity and equality as well as the
achievement of peace, democracy and environmental sustainability.
This UNDP report deals with these and how they best can be achieved
through a policy approach that addresses structural impediments
to 'economic growth and human development'.
http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2003
Human
Development Report 2004 - Cultural Liberty in Today's Diverse
World
In
this UNDP report, the concept of human development is extended
to include cultural liberty, i.e. cultural choices and freedoms.
The report argues that a lack of cultural liberty can indeed
'generate significant deprivations, impoverishing human lives
and excluding people from the cultural connections they have
reason to seek'.
http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2004
Indicators
for Monitoring the Millennium Development Goals: Definitions,
Rationale, Concepts and Sources
This
2003 handbook by the UN Development Group gives a detailed account
of quantitative indicators and basic metadata for the eight Millennium
Development Goals.
http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/MDG/content/pdf/document_final.pdf
World
Development Report 2004: Making Services Work for Poor People
The
report discusses the fact that services such as health, education,
water, sanitation and electricity are inaccessible to a large
part of poor people in the world. It states that increased access
to these services in poor countries is a prerequisite for major
human welfare improvements.
http://www-wds.worldbank.org
News
Sources
Eldis
This
online gateway offers news, newsfeeds/email updates as well as
other information and resources related to development issues.
http://www.eldis.org/index.htm
IRIN
NEWS.ORG - Integrated Regional Information Network
IRIN,
part of OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs), has been covering sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia
on humanitarian-related news since 1994. It aims to provide 'timely,
strategic and non-partisan information so as to enhance the capacity
of the humanitarian community to understand, respond to and avert
emergencies.' Also, it aims to support conflict resolution and
reconciliation by countering misinformation and propaganda.
http://www.irinnews.org/
OneWorld.net
The
OneWorld website provides news and useful information from some
1,600 organisations working in the field of human rights, poverty
alleviation and global issues generally.
http://www.oneworld.net/
Reuters
Alertnet
This
news network offers the latest news on humanitarian-related events
around the world.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/emergency/PH_SEP.htm
Note: Other
sources described in this guide which are not primarily news
sources also provide news.
International
Organisations
Millenium
Development Goals
The
Millennium Development Goals website is administered by the Development
Data Group of the World Bank. The site gives a detailed overview
of what the development goals entail, what should be done in
order to achieve them and what organisations have partnered up
to make sure this is done.
http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/MDG/home.do
The
European Humanitarian Aid Department - ECHO
ECHO
is the EU body responsible for humanitarian aid and relief to
afflicted areas outside the European Union. Part of its mission
is to provide relief to victims of armed conflict. The website
offers information on aid-strategy, mission, decisions as well
as publications related to the topic of humanitarian aid.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/presentation/index_en.htm
The
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The
ICRC is an independent organization whose humanitarian mission
is both to protect the victims of war and conflict and also to
offer them assistance. The ICRC aims to promote and strengthen
humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. The website
contains a host of information such as Information on ICRC activities,
Information on International Humanitarian Law and Publications
(the International Review of the Red Cross is particularly useful
in understanding the organisation).
http://www.icrc.org/
International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Founded
in 1919, the International Federation comprises 176 member Red
Cross and Red Crescent societies, a Secretariat in Geneva and
more than 60 delegations strategically located to support activities
around the world. The Red Crescent is used in place of the Red
Cross in many Islamic countries. The site provides news and information
on the work of the Federation as well as a useful section of
publications.
http://www.ifrc.org/
OECD
- Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development,
the Development Directorate
On
the OECD Development Cooperation Directorate's website one can
for instance find aid statistics, information on aid effectiveness
and donor practices as well as on the DAC network on conflict,
peace and development co-operation. The website also offers country-specific
information and publications & documents. http://www.oecd.org/department/0,2688,en_2649_33721_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
United
Nations Economic and Social Development
This
site provides a range of information on United Nations policy
and projects. Of particular interest are the sections on; Sustainable
Development, African Development and Social Development.
http://www.un.org/esa/
United
Nations: Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA)
This
office works towards improving co-ordination among the multiplicity
of 'humanitarian actors' working around the world. The website
contains useful information and resources, including Reliefweb
which is an extensive information provider.
http://ochaonline.un.org/
UNHCR
- The UN Refugee Agency
Available
on the UNHCR website are a large number of documents, working
papers, statements, press releases etc. with relevance to the
field of aid and conflict. See for instance the 2002 working
paper by Frerks and Hilhorst on 'Evaluation of humanitarian assistance
in emergency situations'.
http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home
UNRWA
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East
This
relief and development organisation helps Palestinian refugees
with education, healthcare, social services etc and makes out
the largest UN operation in the Middle East. The website contains
news and general information on its activities. http://www.un.org/unrwa/index.html
WFP
- UN World Food Programme
This
UN agency aims to deliver food aid and alleviate suffering in
situations of civil conflict, war and natural disasters. Its
vision is that food is necessary in order to create sustainable
peace, democracy and development. The WFP website provides press
releases, speeches, emergency reports as well as policies & publications
and presentations of the organisation and its various operations.
http://www.wfp.org/
The
World Bank - Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Unit
At
the website of the World Bank's Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction
Unit one can find information on the Bank's policy on development
cooperation and conflict as well as other useful info and resources.
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/sdvext.nsf/67ByDocName/TheWorldBankinConflictandDevelopment
Governmental
/ Bilateral Aid Agencies
AusAID
- Australian Government Overseas Aid
The
AusAID web page for instance offers a presentation of Australia's
aid programme and humanitarian and emergency assistance approach.
http://www.ausaid.gov.au/
CIDA
- Canadian International Development Agency
The
CIDA website offers information on Canadian development aid,
ongoing projects and country profiles. It also provides publications
on a number of issues. Peacebuilding is one of the issues that
CIDA focuses on and the website contains a detailed account of
the Canadian Peacebuilding Initiative.
http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/index-e.htm
DANIDA
- Danish International Development Agency
Included
on this website is information on the Danish development policy,
research areas, annual reports etc. http://www.um.dk/da/menu/Udviklingspolitik/OmDanida/
Development
Cooperation Ireland (DCI)
The
DCI website offers information on the Irish development policy,
country-specific programmes and a number of publications and
evaluations.
www.dci.gov.ie
DFID
- UK Department for International Development
Posted
on the DFID website are news, publications, case studies and
country profiles related to aid and development.
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/
global.finland
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Development Cooperation
This
website contains information on Finland's development cooperation
projects as well as news and publications on development and
aid issues generally.
http://global.finland.fi/index.php?kieli=3
JICA
- Japan International Cooperation Agency
The
JICA objective is 'to contribute to peace and development in
the international community, and thereby to help ensure Japan's
own security and prosperity.' On their website one can find information
on which issues it focuses on, which countries they work in and
what projects are carried out. Of particular interest are the
projects on peacebuilding currently underway in Afghanistan,
Cambodia, East Timor and Sri Lanka.
http://www.jica.go.jp/english/
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Norway - Minister of International Development
The website
of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry contains a large number of
speeches by the Minister of International Development, handbooks
and brochures, reports and programmes of action.
http://odin.dep.no/ud/global/depliste-en/bn.html
New
Zealand's International Aid & Development Agency (NZAID)
One
of the main focuses of the NZAID is conflict resolution and peacebuilding
and the website hence offers information on this as well as some
publications with relevance. The website also gives a general
introduction to the NZAID bilateral and regional programmes.
http://www.nzaid.govt.nz
Sida
- the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
On
the Sida web site one can find information on Swedish development
assistance generally and information on its projectsin some 100
countries worldwide. In addition, the website offers online publications
and a detailed account of the work Sida does within the field
of humanitarian assistance and conflict management.
http://www.sida.se/Sida/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=107
Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
The
SDC web page contains information on general development policies,
projects carried out worldwide, humanitarian aid programmes (including
the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit), multilateral cooperation as
well as a list of publications that can be ordered online.
http://www.sdc.admin.ch
The
United States Agency for International Development - USAID
The
website of USAID provides information about it's projects in
delivering assistance in various areas as well as policy papers
and other information.
http://www.usaid.gov/
Non-Governmental
Organisations
BOND
- British Overseas NGOs for Development
This
network of over 290 UK voluntary development organisations offers
training, advocacy and information services to promote 'the exchange
of experience, ideas and information' amongst organisations working
on development issues.
http://www.bond.org.uk/
CARE
(Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere)
CARE
is one of the world's largest private international relief and
development organizations and works with sustainable development
and emergency aid in over 60 countries. The website provides
information on the work and ethos of the organisation.
http://www.care.org/
Catholic
Agency for Overseas Development
Catholic-based
NGO promotes long-term development, responds to emergencies and
promotes social justice in 64 countries worldwide. Offered on
their website are policy papers, news as well as other resources.
http://www.cafod.org.uk/
Catholic
Relief Services
CRS
carries out humanitarian relief and development assistance projects
in many parts of the world within eight programme areas, including
peacebuilding. Information about specific projects within this
programme and others is provided on the website along with various
publications and news.
http://www.catholicrelief.org/
The
Collaborative for Development Action, Inc. (CDA)
The
CDA is a U.S.-based consultancy agency focusing on economic and
social development worldwide that emphasises learning from practical
experiences in the field rather than theory and models. Particularly
relevant is their Do No Harm - Local Capacities for Peace Project,
which has developed a widely used tool for Peace and Conflict
analysis by finding ways to make sure humanitarian/development
aid has a positive impact rather than a negative one in conflict
settings. Posted on the website are also a number of relevant
articles and reports on the relationship between aid and conflict,
though some of them might be slightly out of date.
http://www.cdainc.com/index.php
Concern
Founded
in Ireland in response to famine in Biafra in 1968, Concern works
towards poverty elimination in three key areas: emergency response;
development work and advocacy and development education.
http://www.concern.net/indexL.php
Christian
Aid
Based
on UK and Irish Christian churches, Christian Aid aims to end
poverty in the world byempowering people and organisations locally.
Christian Aid currently runs 16 overseas offices and their website
offers information on the organisation, ongoing campaigns, news
etc.
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/
DI
- Development Initiatives
This
NGO works on policy analysis, advocacy and government relations,
NGO management etc within the fields of aid, development cooperation
and international relations. Their website offers evaluations
of the performance of donor countries as well as other reports.
http://www.devinit.org/
The
Humanitarian Practice Network
HPN,
(formerly the Relief and Rehabilitation Network), aims to improve
operational practice among humanitarian actors. While a Network
with its own identity, the HPN exists within the Humanitarian
Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute. The website
contains a wide range of useful information such as HPN publications.
Available in English and French, the Good Practice Reviews, Network
Papers and Newsletters are excellent sources of information and
most useful in helping to keep up to date with topical debates
in the field. Many of these sources are written by aid practitioners
and most are available on-line. The site also contains a list
of links relevant to aid and conflict.
http://www.odihpn.org/
IAS
- International Aid Services
IAS
is a relief and development NGO with headquarters in Sweden,
Denmark, Norway and Germany. The organisation has a self-help
approach and ongoing projects in a number of African countries
as well as in Romania and Paraguay. One can find annual reports,
news, press releases, reports etc on their website.
http://www.ias.nu/www/default_ias.asp
InterAction
- American Council for Voluntary International Action
This
alliance of more than 160 U.S.-based development and humanitarian
NGOs promotes social justice and basic dignity in the world.
Among its various working groups is the 'Transition, Conflict
and Peace Working Group' which brings together practitioners
working with development, relief and peace. The website contains
detailed information on this working group and others as well
as documents and press releases.
http://www.interaction.org/
International
Council of Voluntary Agencies
ICVA
brings nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) together, initiates
dialogue, and facilitates the coordination of NGO policies and,
where possible, the formation of alliances. The site provides
information on events as well as documents and the ICVA newsletter,
TalkBack. Some sections of the site may be accessed only by member
organisations.
http://www.icva.ch/
International
Crisis Group
This
NGO works for the prevention and resolution of conflicts through
the use of field research and advocacy. ICG produces reports
regularly and publishes the monthly bulletin CrisisWatch.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1
IRC
- International Rescue Committee
The
IRC works with post-conflict peacebuilding as well as relief,
rehabilitation, resettlement and advocates for 'those uprooted
or affected by violent conflict and oppression'. In addition
to providing a detailed presentation of the organisation and
its work, the website also offers relevant news and resources.
http://www.theirc.org/about/index.cfm
MEDAIR
- International Humanitarian Aid Organisation
MEDAIR
works to alleviate suffering of people affected by conflict or
other disasters. Their approach is humanitarian and Christian
and they carry out emergency relief and rehabilitation projects.
Programmes are currently run in countries such as Angola, Sudan,
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
http://www.medair.org/index.php
Médecins
du Monde (MdM)
MdM
is a French-based medical emergency aid organisation. The website,
which is primarily in French, provides details of their projects
as well as other information and news.
http://www.medecinsdumonde.org/
Médecins
Sans Frontières (MSF)
MSF
is the world's largest emergency medical aid organisation. They
aim to provide medical aid wherever it is needed while at the
same time raising awareness of the plight of the people they
work with. The MSF International website has information on their
projects and campaigns as well as publications and contact details
for their various sections. Individual MSF country sections have
their own websites.
http://www.msf.org/
NRC
- Norwegian Refugee Council
The
NRC provides humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally
displaced people who are victims of conflict and disasters around
the world. It offers programmes in 20 or so countries and their
activities range from providing shelter to education and legal
aid. NRC has also set up an emergency preparedness force.
http://www.nrc.no/engindex.htm
Oxfam
International
Oxfam
International, founded in 1995, is an international confederation
of 11 autonomous NGOs. The individual Oxfams work in different
ways but with the common purpose of addressing the structural
causes of poverty and related injustice. Many of the individual
Oxfams such as Oxfam GB and Oxfam America have their own website.
http://www.oxfam.org/
Save
The Children (SCF)
This
NGO works around the world in over 45 countries to protect children
and has projects that deal with child refugees and child soldiers.
The website provides information on the organisation's projects
as well as links to various related resources, publications and
news releases etc. Individual national sections such as SCF-UK
and SCF Canada have their own websites.
http://www.savethechildren.org/
Trócaire
This
Irish NGO has a Catholic ethos and is active in over 56 countries
in development and emergency work. The site provides information
on the work and ethos of the organisation as well as useful resources.
http://www.trocaire.org/
War-torn
Societies Project International
'WSP
International's field operations focus on initiating and supporting
locally owned processes of interactive research and dialogue
on crucial issues facing societies struggling to overcome the
legacies of violent conflict.' Current projects are run in Latin
America, Macedonia, Rwanda and Somalia. The organisation was
set up in 1994 by UNRISD and PSIS of the Graduate Institute of
International Studies and continues to work in partnership with
the UN and other international actors. The website contains detailed
info on past and ongoing projects, publications etc.
http://www.wsp-international.org/
World
Vision- GlobalEmpowerment.org /
Justice-and-Peace.org
This
organisation believes that development creates peace, that societies
heal through forgiveness and that justice and peace should be
combined. Through research, World Vision has proven that 'sustainable
holistic socio-economic development works' in creating local
resources for management of conflict. The organisation's two
websites, see below, offer reports, news and resources related
to justice & development and peacebuilding & conflict
respectively.
http://www.globalempowerment.org/
http://www.justice-and-peace.org/
Training
Programmes, Research Institutes and Think Tanks
Aid
Workers Network - Training for Aid Workers
Developed
by experienced aid workers, this website aims to provide practical
advice to other practitioners within the field of relief and
development. A number of links to relevant training programmes
and academic programmes are also posted on the organisation's
website.
http://www.aidworkers.net/personal/training.htm
The
Canadian Consortium on Human Security
The
CCHS 'is an academic-based network promoting policy-relevant
research on human security'.' The website offers a wide range
of relevant resources, including the Human Security Bulletin
and the Human Security Gateway (which is a useful 'research and
information database' on human security issues).
http://www.humansecurity.info/CCHS_web/Home/en/index.php
Centre
for Global Development
This
research centre aims to reduce poverty and inequality worldwide
and carries out policy-oriented research, targeted outreach and
strategic communication with policymakers and the general public.
Of particular interest is the research project concerned with
security and development as well as the publication section of
the website.
http://www.cgdev.org/
CMI
- Chr. Michelsen Institute
Being
the largest centre for development studies in Scandinavia, the
CMI carries out policy-oriented and applied development research.
The organisation focuses on development and human rights issues
as well as peacebuilding in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern and
Central Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans as well as South America.
The website contains info on their current research and a presentation
of various publications.
http://www.cmi.no/area6.cfm
Global
IDP Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council
This
NGO works for the protection and assistance of people who have
been displaced within their own country and it runs workshops
on the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. The website
also offers downloadable training packages on the issue of internally
displaced people.
http://www.idpproject.org/training.htm
Humanitarianism
and War Project, Tufts University
This
policy research initiative is looking into the interplay between
humanitarian activities and political and military institutions
etc. The website provides detailed status reports and information
on a wide array of publications produced during the course of
the project.
http://hwproject.tufts.edu/
IDS
- Institute of Development Studies
The
IDS is part of Essex University, UK and offers several academic
programmes related to development issues.
http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/
The
International Development Research Centre
The
centre's mission is 'Empowerment through knowledge' and it provides
technical support and funding for research in devloping countries.
Particularly relevant is the Peace, Conflict and Development
Program. The centre collaborates with Canadian federal government
departments and works in partnership with for instance the UK
Department for International Development, the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation, the Ford Foundation and so on. The
website provides information on current research projects, publications,
a library as well as other resources.
http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-1-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
INTRAC
- International NGO Training and Research Centre
INTRAC
works to strengthen organisation and management capacity of NGOs
and CSOs working in the field of international relief and development
through consultancy, research, training, conferences and publications.
Currently its main work is carried out in Central Asia and Malawi
although it also runs a thematic programme, the Praxis Programme,
which 'is about giving practitioners with "hands-on experience" in
different cultures and contexts an opportunity to share the solutions
they develop in the course of their work'.
http://www.intrac.org/
Overseas
Development Institute
The
ODI is a British think-tank on international development and
humanitarian issues. The website contains a wide range of useful
information such as a section of Publications, many of which
are available on-line.
http://www.odi.org.uk/
RedR
This
organisation works to provide humanitarian organisations worldwide
with competent staff. In so doing, they offer training programmes
to people seeking to work in or already working in the field
of humanitarian relief.
http://www.redr.org/
ReliefWeb
Training Database
This
site offers a wide range of links to training programmes and
courses related to the field of humanitarian aid.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwt.nsf/doc211?OpenForm
RTC
- Respond to Conflict
This
NGO provides advice, cross-cultural training and long-term support
to practitioners. It also runs conflict transformation courses
and the ACTS (Applied Conflict Transformation Studies Programme)
at regional centres around the world.
http://www.respond.org/
School
of Environment and Development
This
the largest University-based International Development Studies
Department in the UK offers both post-graduate courses and customised
professional development programmes as well as consultancy for
international agencies, national governments etc.
http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/index.htm
Articles
and Documents
Addressing
the Root Causes: Relief and Development Assistance between
Peacebuilding and Preventing Refugee Flows
This
article, written by Bettina Scholdan, was published in the Journal
of Humanitarian Assistance in 2000. The paper argues that the
paradigm of aid as a form of conflict prevention and resolution
is closely related to, if not determined by another paradigm:
that of preventing migration through eliminating its root causes.
http://www.jha.ac/articles/a058.htm
Aid
and Conflict: the Policy Coherence Challenge
In
this 2004 paper, Robert Picciotto (the Global Policy Project)
argues that aid and security policies should be converged. According
to Picciotto, there is a positive correlation between development
and peace and also a two-way causality between security and development,
hence - 'security policy should be "developmentalized"'.
In order to face up to the challenges of 'local wars and global
terrorism' it is necessary to reorient aid towards dealing with
economical as well as political and institutional deficiencies,
including measures to prevent conflict.
http://www.wider.unu.edu/conference/conference-2004-1/conference2004-1-papers/Picciotto-2505.pdf
Aid,
Policy and Growth in Post-Conflict Societies
Paul
Collier and Anke Hoeffler here provide an empirical analysis
of aid and policy reform as regards to growth processes in post-conflict
settings. Based on data from 27 countries they conclude that
the absorptive capacity for aid is twice the normal level in
the first decade after a conflict and also that policy has a
greater impact on growth in post-conflict societies than in societies
without this dimension. (This paper is part of a larger study
on economics in conflicts carried out by the Development Research
Group at the World Bank.)
http://ideas.repec.org/p/wbk/wbrwps/2902.html
Breaking
the Links Between Conflict and Hunger in Africa
Discussing
the relationship between food insecurity and conflict, this 2004
report by Ellen Messer and Marc J. Cohen (the International Food
Policy Research Institute) concludes that the international community
can help prevent conflict based on food insecurity by for instance
exerting pressure on local governments to adopt inclusive agricultural
and trade policy. It is also necessary to think in terms of conflict-prevention
when giving aid. http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/oppressive/2004/10africahunger.pdf
Can
Foreign Aid Moderate Ethnic Conflict?
In
this 1997 USIP report Milton J. Esman looks into what impact
politicised ethnicity has on development assistance and vice
versa. How should the issue of ethnicity be dealt with? Esman
states that since context is of the essence, it is necessary
to carry out a contextual evaluation and an 'ethnic impact statement'
ahead of launching a development assistance programme. By doing
this, it is possible for development assistance agencies to mitigate
potential negative effects of the aid mission and even moderate
ethnic conflict. The author disagrees with Economic Growth theorists
and claims that sustained economic growth can only take place
when political stability is a fact and this in turn can only
be achieved through political means.
http://www.usip.org/pubs/peaceworks/pwks13.pdf
The
Challenges and Contradictions of Development and Conflict
This
paper was written by Stephen Jackson of the International Famine
Centre, NUI Cork. The paper provided the background to the INCORE
Summer School course on Development and Conflict, June 2001.
http://www.incore.ulster.ac.uk/cds/themes/SJ_Paper.pdf
Conflict,
Humanitarian Assistance and Peacebuilding: Meeting the Challenges
This
2003 International Alert Report discusses the potential of 'conflict
sensitive humanitarian aid'. In essence, the argument goes that
not only can humanitarian agencies avoid having a negative impact
in conflict areas, they could also 'do good' in terms of actually
directly transforming the conflict and help build peace - through
the use of a 'conflict sensitive approach'.
http://www.international-alert.org/pdf/pubdev/humanitarian_assistance_peacebuilding.pdf
Development
and Conflict Theory
This
article by Olympio Barbanti offers a general yet interesting
discussion on links between development theory and conflict theory
as well as on development and structural change, development
history and current development theory generally.
http://www.beyondintractability.org/m/development_conflict_theory.jsp
Development,
NGOs, and Civil Society: the Debate and Its Future
This
article by Jenny Pearce is published in the Development, NGOs,
and Civil Society Reader. The article examines the debate over
the role of NGO interventions.
http://www.developmentinpractice.org/readers/NGOs/intro.htm
The
Economics of Post Conflict Aid
In
this IMF work paper Dimitri G. Demekas, Jimmy McHugh and Theodora
Kosma discuss the issue of post-conflict aid and conclude that
humanitarian aid helps raise welfare in the short run but is
an impediment to economic development in the long run, while
reconstruction aid on the other hand 'encourages savings and
long-term growth' but fails to address immediate humanitarian
needs in the country. The authors state that solutions to this
dilemma should be based on the conditions prevailing in each
individual case.
http://www.aueb.gr/deos/Seminars/Kosma6-2-03.pdf
The
Humanitarian-Development Gap
This
article, by Jonathan Moore, appeared in the International Review
of the Red Cross Nr 833, in March 1999.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList78/EE30655200237ACBC1256B66005CFE19
Humanitarianism
Unbound?
NomadNet
provides the text of the 1994 paper by African Rights which warned
against humanitarian interventions in Africa at the behest of
international aid organisations.
http://www.netnomad.com/DeWaal.html
The
Impact of Humanitarian Aid on Conflict Development
Written
in 1998, this article by Pierre Perrin (Chief Medical Officer
of the ICRC) offers an interesting and relevant discussion on
what impact armed conflict has on people and ' systems vital
to their survival'. In his view, humanitarian aid is necessary
to 'save lives, relieve suffering and restore dignity' but can
also have a number of negative impacts on people in conflict
areas, for instance when the aid creates a parallel economy and/or
health system in afflicted areas. Perrin makes several suggestions
on how aid is best used to avoid the latter and concludes that
a comprehensive approach that takes into account socio-economic
and cultural contexts is necessary.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList167/FA943455FADB895EC1256B66005C0A26
The
Implications of Do No Harm for Donors and Aid Agency Headquarters
This
article, by Mary B. Anderson, is posted on the pages of the Local
Capacities for Peace Project of the Collaborative for Development
Action website. The paper is part of Anderson's work exploring
the possible negative affects of aid.
http://www.cdainc.com/
In
the Line of Fire: Development in Conflict
This
article by Stephen Commins, published in the Development in States
of War Reader, examines the role of aid workers in conflict situations.
He concludes that despite the criticisms of such work, NGOs may
still operate in the line of fire with effectiveness, accountability
and long-term impact.
http://www.developmentinpractice.org/readers/DSW/intro.htm
IRIN
Web Special on Civilian Protection in Armed Conflict
This
IRIN news.org / UN OCHA special report deals with International
Humanitarian Law and discusses ways for the humanitarian aid
community to protect civilians in situations of war.
http://www.irinnews.org/webspecials/civilprotect/default.asp
Livelihoods,
Chronic Conflict and Humanitarian Response: a Review of Current
Approaches
This
article by Catherine Longley and Daniel Maxwell (The Overseas
Development Institute) discusses whether livelihood approaches
are compatible with humanitarian principles in chronic conflict
situations. The authors conclude that this is the case if factors
such as vulnerability, the political economy and the temporal
dimension of the situation are taken into consideration. The
report offers discussions on political conflict, the application
of livelihood approaches to these situations and humanitarian
and human rights implications.
http://www.odi.org.uk/nrp/89.pdf
The
Multilateral Aid Response to Violent Conflict: More than
Linking Relief and Development
This
2001 publication by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs deals
with failures of the international aid community to address violent
conflict and the 'gaps between relief and development programming'
in these situations. The study offers recommendations to the
Danish Foreign Ministry on how the UN system could be improved
to better deal with violent conflict and also how relief can
be linked to development.
http://www.um.dk/en/servicemenu/Publications/DevelopmentPolicy/MultilateralResponseViolent.htm
On
the Problem of Misuse in Emergency Aid
This
1998 article, by Georg Cremer, Caritas Germany and University
of Freiburg, appears in the Journal of Humanitarian Assistance.
The article examines the misuse of aid by relief organisations
or by employees within the structures of the organisations.
http://www.jha.ac/articles/a042.htm
Poverty,
Conflict and Development. Interventions in Sub Saharan Africa
This
paper, by Pyt Douma of the Netherlands Institute of International
Relations, was presented at the Global Development Network of
The World Bank held in Bonn, Germany in December 1999.
http://payson.tulane.edu/mad/conflict/douma.htm
Save
Us From Our Saviours
This
article, written by Lindsey Hilsum, originally appeared in the
The Observer newspaper on December 31, 1995. Hilsum argues that
good intentions of aid organisations are not enough and that
the chaotic mass of unregulated international aid is perpetuating
suffering.
http://www.netnomad.com/hilsum.html
Trocaire
Development Review 2003/04
The
various articles in this publication deal with the topic 'The
Role of NGOs in Conflict Transformation' from different persepectives.
Particularly relevant is the article on 'Accountabilities and
power in development relationships'. The publication also contains
several book and report reviews related to development and peacebuilding.
http://www.trocaire.ie/policyandadvocacy/tdr2004.htm#dev
Violent
Conflict and the Millennium Development Goals: Diagnosis
and Recommendations
As
the title suggests, this 2004 report by Macartan Humphreys & Ashutosh
Varshney et al deals with the achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals in conflict areas. It states that aid aimed at fulfilling
the MDGs has to take into account location-specific conflict
dynamics and also that it is necessary to coordinate economic
and security strategies in doing so. The report suggests a number
of institutional innovations: 'the development of new institutions
at the national and at the international level that can negotiate
the linkages between what have traditionally been categorized
as security concerns and what have traditionally been categorized
as development concerns'.
http://www.columbia.edu/~mh2245/papers1/HV.pdf
World
Bank Post-Conflict Aid: Oversight Issues for Congress
In
this 'CRS Report for Congress' Martin A. Weiss discusses how
aware the World Bank is of the consequences of its post-conflict
aid and he also evaluates how well this aid is coordinated with
that of other donors.
http://www.aicpr.org/WBPC.pdf
Country-Specific
Documents and Information
Aid,
Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka
This
report by Jonathan Goodhand looks into the interplay between
'development, poverty and conflict' in Sri Lanka. It maps out
the conflict background as well as the various aid actors in
the country and draws conclusions on the relationship between
aid and conflict, and how the various donor agencies can adopt
a more conflict sensitive approach.
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/conflictassessmentsrilanka.pdf
Aid
During Conflict - Interaction Between Military and Civilian
Assistance Providers in Afghanistan, September 2001 - June
2002
This
155-page report was prepared by RAND (the U.S. National Defense
Research Institute) for the Office of the Secretary of Defense
and the U.S. Agency for International Development. It offers
a thorough evaluation of the humanitarian aid provision during
'Operation Enduring Freedom' in Afghanistan as well as suggestions
on what lessons could be learned from this experience.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2004/RAND_MG212.pdf
Conflict
Sensitive Approaches to Development, Humanitarian Assistance
and Peace Building: Tools for Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment
Based
on experiences in Sri Lanka, Kenya and Uganda, this (2004) resource
pack discusses the application of 'conflict sensitive practice
in the fields of development, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding'.
The project is a collaboration of a number of partner NGOs, including
International Alert.
http://www.conflictsensitivity.org/resource_pack.html
Development,
Relief Aid, and Creating Peace: Humanitarian Aid in Liberia's
War of the 1990s
The
question asked in this paper is: 'can relief aid be combined
with sustainable development?'. Based on the Liberian case, Deborah
Maresko comes to the conclusion that indeed it can be and has
been - she states that it is imperative for the humanitarian
community to have a long-term focus and look beyond simply meeting
people's physical needs.
http://www.trinstitute.org/ojpcr/6_1maresko.pdf
Disturbing
Connections: Aid and Conflict in Kyrgyzstan
In
this 83-page report from 2001, Tony Vaux & Jonathan Goodhand
look into the interplay between conflict dynamics and development
assistance in the Ferghana Valley of Kyrgyzstan. They conclude
that the potential for violent conflict in the area is quite
substantial and that external factors (for instance, aid and
development) are highly likely to exacerbate the situation. Therefore
it is necessary for the international community to have a 'coherent'
approach to the situation at hand in the area. The report offers
a thorough overview of the situation, potential conflict scenarios
as well as suggestions on how the international community should
act to prevent the outbreak of violent conflict.
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/conflictassessmentkyrgyzstan.pdf
The
Influence of Aid in Situations of Violent Conflict
Based
on the results of four case studies (Afghanistan, Sri Lanka,
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda), this OECD report by Peter Uvin
deals with the extended mandate of aid in the face of the post-Cold
War increase in intrastate conflicts. More specifically it looks
at 'the way humanitarian and development aid can be used to promote
dynamics of peace in recipient countries' through incentives
and disincentives. The report offers a number of policy recommendations
for donors.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/31/24/1843044.pdf
Reconciliation
- Theory and Practice for Development Cooperation
Looking
into the concept of reconciliation in post-conflict settings
this report (by the Department of Peace and Conflict Research,
Uppsala University for the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency) makes suggestions on how development aid
and cooperation best can be used to support local/national programmes
for reconciliation. Looking at theory as well as cases such as
East Timor, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Macedonia, Lebanon, Liberia,
South Africa and Rwanda the report for instance concludes that
it is necessary to support local initiatives rather than imposing
external ones and that a conflict and timing analysis is necessary
beforehand.
http://www.sida.se/Sida/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1250&a=22048
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