Learn more about Peace and Conflict

What are peace and conflict, anyway?

Peace is a state of harmonious relations between people, allowing for development that meets human and environmental needs. Peace can be accomplished by controlling and eliminating mass weapons, and by building institutions of law that promote justice and non-violence.¹ A strong civil society, made up of empowered and active citizens, can also help to address the underlying issues that lead to conflict.

Conflict is a state of violent struggle between groups of people, often taking the form of a battle or war. There are a variety of social, political and economic factors that can cause conflict.  Religious and cultural differences between groups can lead to divisions within governments that undermine stability, especially during times of transition like elections. Economic factors like the unequal distribution of wealth and natural resources, including land, water, fossil fuels and minerals, can also contribute to conflict, particularly in areas with high poverty and scarce resources.

Peacekeeper warheads on top of missiles.

Which organizations are involved in peace and conflict issues?

National and international governmental bodies, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), play an important role in addressing conflicts. One example of an international body focused on peace and conflict is the United Nations.

The United Nations was created after the end of World War II in order to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and promote social progress, better living standards, and human rights.² There are 192 member states in the U.N. and 15 of those are a part of the Security Council, which oversees peacekeeping, sanctions, and arms control. The Council is composed of five permanent members — China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States — and ten rotating members.

The United Nations Security Council discusses threats to international peace and security.

Who is most affected?

Conflict has a number of serious consequences, not just for the people involved who may be injured or killed. Bystanders, such as children who become orphans as a result of war, are also affected. To learn more about orphans watch The conspiracy of violence in Nairobi's slums, below.

During and after a conflict, people are displaced and some become refugees by traveling into another country to seek a new home. There were some 42 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2008. This includes 15.2 million refugees, 827,000 asylum-seekers (pending cases) and 26 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).³

To see images of refugees, go to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees photo gallery.This map shows how corrupt the governments of different countries are in the eyes of their citizens. The darker the blue, the more corrupt the citizens believe their government is. Building a strong civil society to fight against corruption requires the use of media, so that citizens can be informed of what actions their government is taking.

Where are the consequences felt?

Consequences are felt in the countries facing conflict, the countries surrounding them, and all around the globe. View this Global Peace Index interactive map to discover the most and least peaceful countries.

One consequence of conflict is the movement of refugees. Download a UNHCR layer that plugs into Google Earth, to view refugee camps and conflicts all over the world. 

In particular, Sudan is a country that has dealt with a great deal of internal conflict, leading to the resettlement of a number of Sudanese around the globe. The Crisis Group has some good background material on the conflict in Sudan.

Sudanese children at a refugee camp in Chad. BBC News has information about the ten major hosting countries for refugees — the United States, China, Germany, Pakistan, Iran, Armenia, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Serbia & Montenegro.

Why are peace and conflict important?

Conflict is often based on the uneven allocation of natural resources between different ethnic and cultural groups. Arguments over water, timber, and oil rights, especially in countries facing extreme poverty, have led to armed conflict.⁴ This armed conflict in turn leads to environmental degradation and the disruption of economic activity, which leads to further poverty.

Until lasting peace is achieved, the most vulnerable people and their environments will suffer. The U.K. Secretary of State Douglas Alexander said, "We need to see more action to tackle and prevent conflict because conflict not only ruins lives – it chokes development."⁵

Citations

¹ http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2006/11/10_krieger_building.htm

² http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/index.shtml

³ http://www.unhcr.org/4a375c426.html, page 2

⁴ http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/sudan/04_conflict.pdf, page 78

⁵ http://www.concernuniversal.org/index.php/article/_news/concern_universal's_
work_acknowledged_by_uk_secretary_of_state/18.htm

⁶ http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6078&l=1