Conflict Prevention Development?

Yes... time for another one of Leran's crazy ideas... but this one I believe has strong merit. As you'll either read in my previous post or you might hear from me soon, I think I've discovered a niche field I want to explore either working in the human rights, development and conflict resolution fields or through academic research.

This post is intended just to be a general introduction to my thoughts and as an open invite to any ideas you might want to contribute.

Overview: I want to look at how development could be designed or targeted to better promote human rights specifically among marginalized community with the end goal of conflict prevention. My concern is that in societies where violence breaks out the results of development are lost and many development projects have to start at square one if and when stability resumes.

If it would be possible to incorporate methods that promote cooperation among competing ethnic groups or leads into development then perhaps violence between such groups would be avoided or at least lessened in intensity. Furthermore if development could be successful in opening up government and/or increasing participation among marginalized groups the likelihood that conflict between said group and the government would likewise be avoided or mitigated.

Background: Over the last few years while I have been focusing on learning and reacting to the genocide in Darfur I have also followed the post-election violence in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Both nations before their respective crises began were viewed as success stories of Africa. Until a few years ago Kenya was touted as the only stable nation undergoing consistent growth in East Africa. Zimbabwe, until Mugabe began his radical land reforms in early to mid 1990s was a net exporter of food providing imports to much of the continent.

Kenya may have dodged the bullet, but no doubt the slums where the worst ethnic post-election violence are still struggling to return to the less than ideal circumstances of December 2007. Zimbabwe on the other hand continues to alternative between a slow and quick rot descending into violence between political parties and between the government and the few whites left in the nation. With runaway inflation, high HIV rate and crushed infrastructure nowhere sees much hope left for Zimbabwe.

Speaking to people in Uganda, I fear that similar problems may be in store after the national elections in 2011. Many individuals working alongside my volunteer group warned that if President Museveni does not step down and decides to rig another election in order to stay in office, the majority will rise up violently against the NRM party to remove Museveni. While Tororo in the far southeast of Uganda may be spared in a Kenyan style violent outcome, the HIV positive slum residents of Kampala we visited will most likely not be so fortunate.

If the international community is slow to react or not as successful in quelling the violence as in Kenya and things escalate toward Zimbabwe levels then Tororo. which is currently headed toward famine, will surely be thrown into a far more dire situation as will many districts all over the country including the war-torn north. In such a hopefully unlikely, but not impossible outcome the successful development happening all over the country will be most for not.

I hope I, and the Ugandans I spoke to, am wrong about 2011, but regardless post-election violence seems to be a constant phenomenon throughout the Global South. I have yet to find any literature or anyone with knowledge of literature arguing the role of development in preventing such crises and I believe it is a necessary step to take toward peace and development across Africa.