Information and Communication Technology and Peacebuilding Summary of a Workshop (2008) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix E 4Backgrounder on International Conflict
Appendix E 4Backgrounder on International Conflict
Pages 45-50
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From page 45... ...
They include ethnic and religious strife, fragile and undemocratic states, weak economies and growing economic disparity, political extremism, competition for scarce resources, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The resulting suffering and destabilization of societies make effective forms of conflict management imperative.
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From page 46... ...
For example, Jared Diamond and others have argued that population density and resulting scarcity of arable land created conditions that led to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.8 More broadly, according to Michael Klare, "Historically, many wars have been fought over the possession or control of vital resources: water, arable land, gold and silver, diamonds, copper, petroleum, and so on."9 This driver also manifests when parties or individuals engage in violence to enrich themselves. 6 Paul Collier, Anke Hoeffler, and Dominic Rohner, Beyond Greed and Grievance: Feasibility and Civil War.
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From page 47... ...
Underlying conditions affect the overall risk of conflict, but individual actions represent important proximate drivers of violence.12 Researchers have noted the relationship between endowments of certain natural resources and civil wars. Recent studies have concluded that oil and diamond production are "robustly correlated with civil war onsets."13,14 Other studies have suggested that heavy reliance on agriculture or exports of other primary commodities may increase risk of civil war, possibly through vulnerability to price shocks.15 There is also evidence that the following social factors increase the likelihood of civil war (although they are not necessarily the underlying drivers)
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From page 48... ...
Most Significant Challenges to Peace over the Next Decade During a series of workings sessions conducted with USIP staff, the above drivers of conflict were coupled with an assessment of the current geo-political landscape to identify the following contemporary threats to peace: Environmental degradation / climate change - Lack of water - Reduced food supplies / marine resources - Competition for energy / environmental resources Weapons of mass destruction - Increasing ability to acquire, develop, and transport 16 Stephen Van Evera, Causes of War (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1999)
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From page 49... ...
power and resultant incentive to others to challenge existing power relationships Clash of civilizations/ideologies Growing number of disenfranchised - Widening gaps between rich and poor - Radicalization and empowerment (e.g., WMD, global reach) of disenfranchised and otherwise alienated groups Global population movements (e.g., refugees, legal and illegal immigration)
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