Together We Stand

[ 38 ] links between conflict and displacement of populations are easy to see, but less obvious, for instance, is how climate changes triggers conflict-related crises. Household food security is gravely affected by economic and climate-related shocks. And as fragile states struggle to control violence, they make themselves more vulnerable to them. We can’t always predict when these shocks will occur, but we can prepare for them by strengthening conflict management systems and preparing communities to resolve conflict through non-violent means. If we are serious about making fragile communities more food secure and more resilient to climate change, we have to mitigate violent conflict. Otherwise, any gains we make in these areas could be quickly lost with one outbreak of violence. Syria is a clear reminder of that. This burden does not fall solely on local governments: government representatives and traditional leaders must work together to eliminate violence. That’s why Mercy Corps and its partners aren’t limiting our focus to formal governance structures — we also want to know who has influence in the informal community structures, and how we can help the two cooperate. Then, we orient our programming around this cooperation. A sudden resurgence of violence in CAR during September 2015 tested this approach, demonstrating how humanitarian programming with conflict management at its heart can yield dividends. Triggered by the reported beheading of a young Muslim cab driver, violent clashes erupted in and around Bangui’s ‘PK5’ neighborhood, spark- ing clashes throughout the city as well as looting, crime and shootings in Bambari and Kaga-Bandoro. This violence was happening among a public already frustrated by the transition process. But as it threatened to spread, local peer educators who had been trained through the conflict management program started to act. Throughout Bangui, they monitored the situation to quickly dispel rumors and mitigate bubbling tensions. They organized their peers to discuss non-violent ways to address their mounting grievances. In Bouar, community leaders and religious asso- ciations publicly condemned violence and worked to swiftly restore order in order to keep the main road open to traffic, commerce and a sense of normalcy. As the crisis intensified, they focused first on peace. Violent conflict will continue to test our approach in fragile communities. But the positive, real-time response of these leaders was inspiring. It demonstrated that when we are committed to non-violence, and when we do the work to put the appropriate structures in place to promote it, we clear a path for safer communities. We don’t just say that a better world is possible — we begin to actually build it. Image: Lindsay Murphy Putting the appropriate structures in place to promote non-violence will clear a path for safer communities T ogether W e S tand