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]]>Conflict Analysis informs peacebuilding and development work. It’s often skipped due to: priorities/ funding, unconducive environment, ignorance of its importance among others. .
Conflict Analysis is the process of examining the data that is collected within and without the confines of a conflict in a bid to understand the extent and the form(s) of that conflict.
This process should be based off reliable data from the relevant actors and stakeholders if the analysis is to deduce a realistic picture of the conflict.
In an ideal situation, peacebuilding intervention strategies for conflicts should be informed by the conflict analysis.
Please read further below.
In Summary: Conflict Analysis is important not only to inform peacebuilding interventions but also for Conflict Sensitivity.
Conflict Sensitivity refers to the measures that are taken to ensure that peace interventions are conscious of the conflict variables which, if mishandled, might cause more harm than good to the peacebuilders / development, the community or other stakeholders in the peace field.
Conflicts, especially conflicts, have multiple variables that make the solving of such conflicts complex. These variables also take different forms at different forms, which is why peacebuilding efforts may not work in an instant.
Effective peace building efforts should seek to understand the conflict variables (see the list below) in order to come up with intervention strategies that have maximum positive impact and minimal probabilities of fueling the conflict further.
In my opinion Conflict Analysis is an important process for any intervention.
HOWEVER, the intensity and formality of the process should be left at the discretion of the involved parties/ peacebuilding organization/ project managers.
During this Conflict Analysis process (however simple or intense it is), the peacebuilder/ development worker/ program manager should think ahead and put necessary measures to avoid escalating the conflicts further.
For instance, if talking to some actors and or stakeholders (during the data collection phase) in a secluded place causes tension between those actors and the rest of the community, then such discrete talks should be rethought.
Another thing to consider is how, where, and with whom the results of this analysis are shared.
Some peace projects/ development workers may choose an official and intense Conflict Analysis process to inform their next course of actions, This may include getting a Peace and Conflict Consultant to spearhead the process, investing a significant budget to collect and process data from diverse sources, and holding a results’ validation exercise where different actors/ stakeholders are informed of the results.
Other peace projects may choose to use an unofficial approach that may include casual chats with different actors/ stakeholders
Below as some of the tools that you can use to conduct a conflict analysis. Some tools are specific for processing/ analyzing specific variables, whereas other tools can analyze multiple conflict variables at a go.
Click on each tool for more information. If I have not updated the information for each tool, please check back later
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Actors mapping, also referred as stakeholders’ mapping in some development sectors, is the process of identifying the actors (people who directly/ indirectly influence something as well as the people who are directly/ indirectly influenced by the effects of that something.
Actors Mapping is part and parcel of Conflict Analysis as it seeks to understand the variable (in this case the actors/ stakeholders) in a conflict or development work context in a bid to make informed decisions about a potential viable intervention.
Actors Mapping/ Stakeholders Mapping is also a key component of Conflict Sensitivity. Having an insight into the actors in a conflict / development and their relationships helps a peace worker, peace and conflict consultant, project managers, program coordinators, and development workers visualize how their interaction with certain actors is likely to affect their relationship with other actors.
Under-estimating the significance of some actors can be detrimental not only to the project (planned intervention), but also to the development worker / peace worker him/ herself.
Please read this post to see the requirements and the process of Actors Mapping Here
There is a plethora of tools that can be used to identify and analyse actors in any conflict context or development work.
Most Conflict Analysis Tools and stakeholders mapping tools focus on the multiple conflict variables and as such, peace workers, project managers, peace and conflict consultants, and development workers should choose wisely.
One tool, however, Actors Mapping Tool, I find most effective in doing a comprehensive mapping of actors/ stakeholders as it focuses on the actors and their relationships as the key variables.
Additionally, the Actors’ Mapping Tool enables a peace builder to not only focus on the ‘known’ conflict actors but also explore indirect actors whose involvement in the conflict is significant.
What are your thoughts?
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]]>The post 5 Reasons Why Development Work MUST Start with Actors/ Stakeholder Mapping appeared first on Development Work, Conflict Transformation, and PeaceBuilding... Informed Capacity Development for Diverse Stakeholders.
]]>As a development worker, is Actors Mapping / Stakeholders Analysis important?
Do you ever wonder what would happen to you or your project if you jumped into implementing a project without seeking to understand who you will be working with or against, who you will be working for, or who will be affected by your interventions?
Actors Mapping is the process of identifying and seeking to understand the different actors / stakeholders in any setting / field/ scenario, as well as their relationships, and the possible impact they have on your peacebuilding/ development work or any other community process.
Understanding the actors in any setting should also give the development worker, project manager, peace and conflict consultant or program coordinators an insight into the people/ actors who might be affected positively or otherwise by the project.
Actors Mapping is, thus, a process that peacebuilders and facilitators of other community processes cannot afford to ignore.
How, where, and how long the Actors Mapping is done by any development worker/ organization/ peace builder/ facilitator of community processes is up to their discretion.
The Actors Mapping Process can be carried out in a simple forum of the development workers only, or intensively in a forum that engages multiple actors/ stakeholders and uses Actors Mapping Tools to gather, process, and present information.
An introvert’s specialty, given his/ her ‘discomfort’ in a public arena, is to know WHO is present, WHAT their role is, HOW they impact his/ her presence, interaction, and outcome of whatever engagements the public forum aims at.
As development workers, project managers, peace and conflict consultants, program coordinators, peace workers, and facilitators of community processes, we should always wear an introvert’s glasses.
We need to use the lenses not for our own psych but for a better understanding of our actors, their involvement with our processes, and the possible foreseen or unforeseen impacts of each actor on our processes.
Conflict sensitivity refers to the level of awareness of the intended input which could have intended/ unintended impacts on the project, the actors, the environment, etc. Do No Harm is a guiding principle in development work to minimize the unintended and adverse effects of development work.
Knowing the actors in a conflict or any scenario and acknowledging the power dynamics between them and yourself (or amongst themselves) is paramount to taking the appropriate course of actions in order to boost/ retain the dignity of every actor as well as reduce the chances of escalating the negative impacts that some engagements might cause.
In any form of development work it is most important to identify:
Peace work and development work are affected by more than the immediate actors or environmental factors.
An Actors Mapping exercise should help the development worker, peacebuilder, project manager, peace and conflict consultant or program managers visualize:
Let no one assume that you are everyone’s favourite just because you are working for peace or bringing development to a community.
It is important to understand privileges, stereotypes, and power dynamics.
You need to know what you are walking into or how your being (whatever nationality / ethnicity/ sex/ background/ race) may make you a target.
Kindly note that whereas you may not be able to alter your natural privileges like race, sex, ethnicity, etc. being aware of how these might be received by others (especially the actors in your field of work) should help you adjust your behaviour accordingly (only if it makes a difference).
Interventions could backfire if the peace worker/ development worker ignores or (dis-engages some actors who might be held in high esteem in their communities.
For instance, if a development worker ignores some actors, who the other actors identify with, the remaining actors may refuse to cooperate with the peacebuilder as they may assume that they may also be deemed dispensable at some point and, hence, ignored. The Swahili saying “ukiona mwenzako anyolewa, kitie chako maji” (in a tradition where mass head-shaving was common, the person next in-line would wet his/ her head as soon as the person before him/ her was getting his/ her shaving), holds true for all actors.
People expect the things that happen to the people they identify with to happen to them. Conflict actors judge the peacebuilder/ development worker by his/ her engagement with the other actors.
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]]>Conflict Sensitivity is important in all development work, especially in Peace Projects that are geared towards addressing conflict, reducing violent conflict, and building long-life peace paths.
Conflict Sensitivity looks are intended/ unintended impacts of peacebuilding or development interventions, and develops mechanisms that minimize the negative effects of such a project whilst increasing the positive impact of those projects.
It is not enough for a development worker, peace worker, project manager, peace and conflict consultant, program coordinator or any other facilitator of community process to just have a ‘good attitude’ when assessing conflict situations and planning peace/ development projects.
Every personnel working in the peace or development field must actively assess all the planned activities (intervention) and their possible (un)intended impacts.
Planned activities, informed by a sound Conflict Analysis. should have more positive impact that negative impacts.
Planned interventions that have the possibility of not only affecting the project implementation but also polarizing a community to a point of violent, prolonged conflict should be re-assessed, adjusted accordingly or abandoned.
Conflict Sensitivity refers to the level of awareness that development workers ought to have regarding the intended/ unintended impacts that their projects/ intervention might have on the community actors, the environment, etc.
Conflict sensitivity is, therefore, not, as presumed, a feeling, but rather the conscious efforts that are geared towards capturing, analysing, and processing the intended and unintended impacts of an intervention (whether in peace work, conflict work or development work).
Conflict sensitivity is geared towards maximizing the positive intended/ unintended impact of a project/ intervention, and mitigating the negative un-intended impacts of such an intervention.
DNH (Do No Harm), RPP (Reflecting on Peace Processes) Matrix, and FFA (Force Field Analysis) comprise some of the tools that peace workers can use to examine potential activities whose engagement may result in counter-productive impacts.
The tools look at:
Dividers and connectors can be attitudes, behaviours, systems & structures, and the actors.
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]]>Conflict Sensitivity Tools help development workers capture and process intended/ unintended impacts of projects beforehand; allows conflict-sensitive planning.
Conflict Sensitivity refers the conscious efforts that are geared towards capturing, analysing, and processing the intended and unintended impacts of any intervention in development work. Conflict sensitivity Tools help capture and process this information.
As part of the wider Conflict Analysis, Conflict Sensitivity seeks to capture and visualize the unintended negative impacts that a project/ intervention may have in a bid to plan (re-plan) peacebuilding projects in a way that maximizes the positive impacts and reduces the negative impact of the intervention. There are several Conflict Analysis Tools that can be used to conduct the Conflict Sensitivity of a project or proposed intervention.
This Conflict Sensitivity Tool works in steps:
This tool allows you to:
Kindly leave your feedback in the comments’ section below.
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]]>The post Development Worker: Important Resource in Peacebuilding/ Community Processes?? appeared first on Development Work, Conflict Transformation, and PeaceBuilding... Informed Capacity Development for Diverse Stakeholders.
]]>A development worker (peacebuilder / peace worker )is an individual who facilitates any step of the peacebuilding process.
It is important for development workers and the assisting personnel to acknowledge that they are one of the most important resources of peacebuilding and conflict transformation.
Stating that “a peacebuilder is the most important resource in any peacebuilding/ conflict transformation process” almost sounds too cliché. But think of what could happen to or all the harm that could be done by a development worker who did not have the capacity to facilitate such peace processes.
I know.
The physical, mental, and or emotional state of a development worker affects more than the development worker him/ herself.
You know about occupational hazards, right?
Well, you can’t think that it only happens to people who work with things or machines.
The biggest occupational hazards facing most development workers are stress and burnout. This stress/ burnout may be triggered by the work itself (strict deadlines, etc.), harsh working conditions, and or the suffering of the people the projects’ work for/ with.
Peace and development projects are affected by the well-being of the peacebuilders or the community itself.
The more you are aware of your own well-being, situation, pain, beliefs, behaviour, etc., and how you react (are likely to react) to triggers, the higher your chances of ensuring you take care of you, while trying to not hurt others.
Read more on self-awareness and care here
The more you are aware of other people’s aspects, the more you are likely yo treat them better, avoid trouble, etc.
The worst mistake a peacebuilder/ development worker can do is to ignore (not acknowledge) power dynamics.
And by power I mean his/ her position, gender, privileges, etc. as well as those of other people.
Power dynamics, however subtle, influence interaction between the development worker and his colleagues or community/ stakeholders, which may ultimately affect the project’s course.
You may not be able to change how other people feel, think or believe in, but you can make them feel at ease and not intimidate/ escalate the situation. It is part of conflict sensitivity.
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]]>The post Is Development Work (Peacebuilding/ Conflict Transformation, Community Development…) : Process OR Activity??? appeared first on Development Work, Conflict Transformation, and PeaceBuilding... Informed Capacity Development for Diverse Stakeholders.
]]>Whereas there is some confusion on how to categorize peacebuilding, it can be agreed to be
“an undertaking that involves multiple engagements by multiple actors/ stakeholders towards sustainable peace”
(Read below for a more concrete definition of peacebuilding).
There is quite some confusion as to whether peacebuilding/ peace work and conflict transformation is a one-off activity or a process.
The confusion revolves around:
An overarching definition of peacebuilding from a list of Authorities in the Peacebuilding field, including the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, Lederach, Galtung and the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University among others is:
“methods and resources (activities, events, processes, efforts, etc.) that are geared towards:
Please read the selected definitions of peacebuilding by the Alliance for Peacebuilding here.
The definition of peacebuilding is explored by the following Authorities:
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