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IFSP contributes to peace
IFSP is closely cooperating with partner institutions and community based organisations in its efforts to support livelihoods development in a situation of a complex political emergency since 1998. Working in conflict calls for a development oriented participatory approach to allow that potentials and opportunities are addressed which are identified by the local communities themselves. It is essential to enable communities to actively take part in development efforts without relying on relief. IFSP aims at ‘breaking dependency’. Only then people would be in a position to benefit from post-conflict development which is slowly taking place in the north and east of Sri Lanka since February 2002. A recent research paper has underlined that development in conflict as promoted by IFSP mobilises self help potential and local capacities (Korf, B. and Bauer, E.: Food Security in the Context of Crises and Conflict: Beyond Continuum Thinking. 2002. Gatekeeper Series No. Sa 106).
Community mobilisation is the core strategy to address priorities for village development. Needs are assessed in dialogue with the local population. Targeting is based on the identification of vulnerable groups and is done by the communities. This procedure is based on the criteria of war affectedness, social deprivation and seasonal food deficit rather than individual interest. IFSP supports local implementing partners (community-based organisations) and encourages transparency and accountability of all involved stakeholders as a first step to re-establish good governance on local and inter-mediate level.
The answer to peace is with the parties in conflict. IFSP and partners can support local capacities for peace by:
- Promoting dialogue with the involved parties in conflict to ensure transparency of activities
- Contributing to dialogue for and cooperation with all involved stakeholders
- Supporting the re-establishment of social networks and local institutional structures through community mobilisation and broader investment in village development, health care, services and capacity building in particular
- Encouraging responsible leadership on local level through cooperation with community-based organisations
- Showing visible and active presence as a neutral, professional institution within an atmosphere of conflict
- Supporting government institutions to strengthen their outreach of services and facilitating the integration of livelihoods into local and regional markets.
Download pdf (105 KB) Technical Paper 26 Peace - Conflict Orientation 2003
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