Exercise #2: Conflict Analysis

Stellan Vinthagen

Assignment: Read "Conflict-sensitive approaches to development, humanitarian assistance and peace building: tools for peace and conflict impact assessment," chapter 2 (http://www.conflictsensitivity.org/resource_pack.html). Select and analyse one of the 15 tools discussed in the chapter. Form groups of 5-6 people to discuss the tools and share your analysis. During your discussion, you should ask, "WHEN is WHAT analytical tool useful? WHY?"

Summary:
- Avoid too much complexity/simplicity.
o Your analysis is too complex when you feel powerless/ overwhelmed.
o However, it is good to appreciate the complexity of a conflict for humility's sake.
o Do not allow complexity to hold you back.

- The bottom line is always: DO NO HARM!
o Do not hurt people or exaccerbate the conflict.
o Do not intervene if there is a great possibility that your intervention will cause harm.

- Possibilities or Priorities?!
o Sometimes you need to focus on one or the other.

- Conflict + Goals + Resources → Project
o Try to contribute/intervene within your means.

- Take these models and tools and combine them to create your own methods of conflict analysis.
o It is essential to continuously develop analytical tools.

- Conflict ANALYSIS is never finished!
o This is because the conflict is always developing.

- Try to continuously contribute and evaluate your contributions.
o You should use your evaluations to rework your project.

- Start small and build up your project step by step (pilot-projects).

- Always keep the following two goals in mind:
o 1. Reduce violence (short term and long term).
o 2. Increase conflict resolution/ conflict transformation capacity.

- Always keep the following recurrent problems in mind:
o 1. How do we avoid donor control?
o 2. How do we coordinate interventions?