THE VULNERABILITY CONTEXT: A WORK IN PROGRESS Sue Lautze Angela Raven-Roberts Feinstein International Famine Center, Tufts University IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

FOUR POINTS, TEN MINUTES 1.AFFECTED PEOPLE DEPEND UPON LIVELIHOODS FOR FOOD SECURITY 2.COMPLEX EMERGENCIES ARE (USUALLY) CHARACTERIZED BY VIOLENCE 3.LIVELIHOODS TOOLS INADEQUATELY CAPTURE THE DYNAMICS & CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE 4.TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY (POLICIES, FRAMEWORKS, INFO SYSTEMS, PROJECTS), THE IMPLICATIONS OF VIOLENCE MUST BE UNDERSTOOD & ADDRESSED

QWHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS AN ANTHROPOLOGIST WITH A POLITICAL ECONOMIST? APEOPLE WHO LOOK AT VIOLENCE AND ITS (VERY) FAR REACHING CONSEQUENCES – SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC  THE “VULNERABILITY CONTEXT” IS NOT EXTERNAL LIVELIHOODS SYSTEMS

1. LIVELIHOODS & FOOD SECURITY FACT: PEOPLE RELY ON LIVELIHOOD SYSTEMS FOR FOOD SECURITY

2. CONTEXT OF CEs NO ADEQUATE/AGREEMENT ON DEFINITION OF CEs VIOLENCE CENTRAL TO ALL CEs VIOLENCE IS BOTH SPECIFIC AND FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF VIOLENCE LIMITED (LARGELY) TO POLITICAL ECONOMY: COLLINSON, COLLIER, SLIM, DUFFIELD, ANDERSON, ETC.

FORM OF VIOLENCE FUNCTION/ SPECIFICITY EXAMPLE GENDER VIOLENCE ATTACKS ON WOMEN AS ATTACKS ON THE NATIONALITY/THE “MOTHER NATION”; ETHNIC CLEANSING; EMASCULATING MALE STRENGTH RWANDA; FORMER YUGOSLAVIA; MOZAMBIQUE; SIERRA LEONE ASSASSINATION, CAR BOMBING ATTACK ON HUMANITARIANS AS ATTACKS ON U.S.-LED POLITICO-MILITARY AGENDAS AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, SOMALIA FORCED DISPLACEMENT, ASSET STRIPPING ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO RAIDERS; DISEMPOWER, WEAKEN OPPOSITION SUDAN; ANGOLA; SIERRA LEONE, LIBERIA CHILD SOLDIERS; FORCE CHILDREN TO KILL TERRORIZE, INCREASE FIGHTING FORCES, DESTABILIZE COMMUNITIES MOZAMBIQUE, UGANDA, SIERRA LEONE, SRI LANKA RUMOUR, RANDOM DISAPPEARANCES SHRED SOCIAL FABRIC OF TRUST, UNDERMINE OPPOSITION GUATEMALA, ARGETINA, COLUMBIA

3. FRAMEWORKS & VIOLENCE VIOLENCE IS EXPENSIVE FOR HOUSEHOLDS & IS HARD ON LIVELIHOODS SYSTEMS & FOOD SECURITY VIOLENCE SHAPES EACH AND EVERY ELEMENT OF LIVELIHOODS SYSTEMS BUT…THE “VULNERABILITY CONTEXT” DOESN’T ADEQUATELY CAPTURE THIS

VIOLENCE AND ASSETS HUMAN, SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, NATURAL, FINANCIAL VIOLENCE ERODES ASSETS – AND THREATENS FOOD SECURITY BY: 1.DIRECT DESTRUCTION 2.TRANSFORMING ASSETS INTO LIABILITIES 3.INCREASING DEMAND FOR LIMITED ASSETS

VIOLENCE INFLUENCE & ACCESS VIOLENCE’S PRIMARY TOOL IS FEAR FEAR RE-SHAPES “INFLUENCE & ACCESS” RELATIONSHIPS  DISEMPOWERMENT LE BILLON: POWERLESSNESS AS A MORE USEFUL CONCEPT THAN POVERTY

VIOLENCE, POLICIES, INSTITUTIONS & PROCESSES VIOLENCE, (LIKE OTHER DRIVING FORCES OF DISASTERS – HIV/AIDS, MACROECONOMIC POLICY FAILURES), IS A PIP THAT: IS ENDOGENOUS, EMBEDDED IN LIVELIHOODS SYSTEMS CAN INDUCE CONSERVATISM, FUNDAMENTALISM AND WORSE CAN PROMOTE MILITARIZATION WARPS AND COMPETES (& WINS) AGAINST OTHER PIPS, INCLUDING THOSE TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY

VIOLENCE AND STRATEGIES VIOLENCE, AS A PIP, SHAPES LIVELIHOODS STRATEGIES SOME NEW LIVELIHOODS STRATEGIES BECOME AVAILABLE, AND PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY (MILITIA, POPPY/CHAT, PROTECTION, CAMP SERVICES) BUT MOSTLY, LIVELIHOODS STRATEGIES ARE CONSTRAINED

VIOLENCE AND OUTCOMES LIVELIHOODS IN CONTEXTS OF VIOLENCE OFTEN YIELD FOOD INSECURITY - MALNUTRITION, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, DESTITUTION, DESPAIR, DISPLACEMENT RARELY, WILL PRODUCE POSITIVE OUTCOMES

ASSETS/ LIABILITIES PROCESSES, INSTITUTIONS & POLICIES INFLUENCE & ACCESS STRATEGIESOUTCOMES (INTEGRATED?) LIVELIHOODS FRAMEWORK