Conflict Sensitivity aPPROACH

Issue Extension of State Services {Kalaiya-based government services (land revenue and survey offices) to Simara of the same district} Perception: District headquarters was being shifted from Kalaiya to Simara The government withdrew the decision Simara people to demonstrate against the decision http://therisingnepal.org.np/news/1825

Conflict Operational definition: a relationship between two or more parties (individuals or groups), who have or think they have, incompatible goals.

Conflict sensitivity Conflict Sensitivity is defined as the capacity to: Understand the context in which a project operates; Understand the interactions between project operations and the context; and Act upon the understanding of this interaction in order to avoid negative impacts and maximize positive impacts on the context and intervention.

Development and Conflict Sensitivity Dark side/ Negative risk Do more harm than good by feeding into war economy, eroding the social contract between govt. and people, legitimating warring groups, undermining local coping stragegirs “Development is not only affected by conflict – it often has an effect on conflict too.” Conflict

Why CS in Nepal? The Constitution of Nepal 2015 Three Year Plan (2013/14-2015/16) Peace and Development Strategy (2010-15) High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Accra, 2008 South and south triangular cooperation Focus on Development Effectiveness, Busan, 2011 Inclusive global partnership Comprehensive Peace Accord 2006 Interim Constitution 2007

Conflict Sensitivity Analysis Tools Do No Harm (DNH) Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA) Peace-building Tool (PBT)

Do No Harm A simple and widely accepted instrument of CS. It was developed from the experience of development and humanitarian workers. Developed by Mary B. Anderson and Collaborative for Development Action (CDA).

Do No Harm It is possible – and useful – to apply DNH in conflict-prone, active conflict and post-conflict situations. It can be used to plan/design, monitor and evaluate public service, humanitarian and development assistance programs. It helps us see how decisions we make affect intergroup relations.

Seven Steps of DNH Framework Understanding the context Analyzing dividers or sources of tension Analyzing connectors or local capacities for peace Analyzing the assistance program/project/intervention Analyzing the assistance program’s impact on dividers & connectors (using RT and IEM) Considering (and generating) programming options Test programming options and redesign project

Step I: Understanding the Context Societies have groups with different interests and identities that contend with other groups. Impacts on the socio-political context that cause, or have the potential to cause, destruction or violence between groups. There are many tools to analyze the context. The three most useful are timeline, actor mapping and conflict tree

Key Components Of Context Analysis Dynamics Timeline Trend and pattern? Actor Who are the actors of the conflict? relationship ? Actor map Structure What are the causes and consequences of it? Conflict tree

Sample Timeline Date/Year Event

Events of Nepali polity 2006 The government and Maoists signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord, declaring a formal end to a 10-year rebel insurgency, and transforming the Nepali state. 2001 A state of emergency was declared after more than 100 people were killed in four days of conflict. 2008 The Nepal Government and the United Democratic Madhesi Front signed an eightpoint agreement, which brought to an end a 16-day long general strike in the Tarai. 2005 King Gyanendra dismissed Prime Minister Deuba and his government, declared a state of emergency, and assumed direct power, citing the need to defeat Maoist rebels. 2006 King Gyanendra agreed to reinstate parliament following a 19-day Janandolan (people’s movement or uprising) with violent strikes and protests against directroyal rule. GP Koirala was appointed Prime Minister. 2007 Maoist leaders were elected to parliament under the terms of the Interim Constitution of 2007. 1990 The multi-party system was revived and a new 1990 constitution of Nepal was prepared. 2008 A Constituent Assembly election was held throughout the country. 2008 The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held; it formally abolished the monarchy and proclaimed Nepal a republic as stated in the Interim Constitution of 2007.

Sample Actor Map

Symbols

Sample Conflict Tree Effects Effects Effects Root causes Root causes Specific conflict Root causes Root causes Root causes

Step II: Analyzing Dividers or Sources of Tension Factors that people are fighting about or cause tension among individuals or groups.

Step III: Analyzing Connectors or Local Capacities for Peace Factors that bring people together and/or tend to reduce tension among individuals/groups.

How … Dividers Vs Connectors

System and Institutions How … System and Institutions

How … Attitudes and Action

How … Values and Interests

How … Experiences

How … Symbols and Occasions

Step IV: Analyzing the Project/Programme Why? Where? What? When? With whom? By whom? How?

Step V: Analyzing the Project’s Impact on D & C (using RT and IEM) Assistance is a vehicle for providing resources to people who need them.

Resource Transfers The transfers of resources (i.e. money, goods, and services) from one entity to another. Resources in a conflict environment represent wealth and power and thus may become part of the conflict.

Theft Assistance can be stolen and support conflict efforts

Market effects Assistance affects prices, wages and profits

Distributional effects Assistance creates divisions among the population

Substitution effects Assistance can substitute for local resources

Legitimization effect Assistance legitimizes some people and actions and weakens or sidelines others.

Implicit Ethical Messages (IEM) Project or programme may carry IEMs determined by the way resources have been generated and distributed. IEMs are often unrecognized by the providers but could easily be misinterpreted by the recipients. These are the effects of institutional and individual behaviours, actions and attitudes on the context.

Competition among agencies: disrespect & mistrust

Publicity

Powerlessness

Different values for different lives

Assistance workers and impunity

Suspicion: Tension

Arms and powers

Step VI: Considering (and Generating) Programing Options We must think about how to provide the same program in a way that eliminates or minimizes its negative (conflict-worsening) impacts. If we realize that we have overlooked the local peace capacities or connectors then we should redesign our program in order to strengthen the connectors.

Step VII: Test Programing Options and Redesign Project Once we have selected better programming options based on the previously discussed issues, it is crucial to re-check the impacts of our new approach on the dividers and connectors.

Necessary Action Ownership Understanding Alignment Context Harmonization Result based monitoring Mutual accountability Produce more value Transparent Understanding Context Interaction between intervention and context Action to avoid negative impacts and maximize positive one Conflict sensitive programme design Development Conflict sensitive development

Let’s act conflict sensitively. Conclusion Let’s act conflict sensitively.

Reading Materials Bellu, Lorenzo G, 2011, Development and Development Paradigms, Rome, Italy. Ebong, Inyang, 2013, Peace building and Development, a paper presented in Women in Public Service Institute Workshop, Pennsylvania, USA. UNDP, 1990-2013, Human Development Reports, New York, USA