Violence Prevention Articles & Essays

The problem of fragile, failing and failed states is a critical issue on today’s international scene, and the question of preventing violence is especially acute for many countries. New ways need to be found to tackle this violence, if such countries are to have true hopes of stability and then also of coherence and well-being. 

 

This was the primary concern of the multi-year, practical, learning effort entitled the International Peace and Prosperity Project (IPPP) in Guinea-Bissau.

 

The IPPP features the mobilization of local leaders and the provision of professional assistance and modest financial support to carry out early, holistic, horizontally and vertically integrated violence prevention actions.

 

More specifically, the IPPP in Guinea-Bissau aims to prevent political violence by:

 

·      working towards peace and prosperity using rigorous ongoing conflict and violence analyses;

 

·      playing a value-added, catalytic role in assisting Guinea-Bissau citizens, the government, and international actors to implement concrete, synergistic actions through dialogue and focused projects;

 

·      providing a small grants program to stimulate security and development initiatives;

 

·      undertaking global advocacy to mobilize international resources for violence prevention and peacebuilding in Guinea-Bissau.

 

 

The IPPP continues to operate under the direction of the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation, with funding and support provided through the Alliance for Peacebuilding, Washington, D.C.

 

This report details the experience of the International and Prosperity Project in Guinea-Bissau and forms the basis of a new draft model for violence prevention in fragile and failed states.

PREVENTING POLITICAL VIOLENCE:  Towards a Model  for  Catalytic  Action (PDF)

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

New Unit Created to Prevent and End Violence

For Immediate Release

 

August 10, 2006 – Ottawa, Ontario – Recognizing the need for a fast-acting mechanism that can respond in cases of potential or actual violence, a new Early Response (ER) Unit has been formed by the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation, in Ottawa.  The new ER Unit provides critical services both domestically within Canada and internationally in unstable situations and fragile states.

 

CIIAN’s President and the Director of the ER Unit, Dr. Ben Hoffman, states “I believe the new ER Unit is greatly needed in our world of increasingly volatile environments. Ethnic and religious strife, land occupations, labor strikes, dysfunctional workplaces, and troubled schools can become violent unless timely action is taken. We have the expertise to recognize early warning signs that these environments may become violent and the experience to deliver an appropriate response aimed at prevention and stabilization.”

 

A Multi-Disciplinary Team of Worldwide Experts

“Our ER Unit is staffed with a team of consultants who work in the most protracted conflicts and hostile environments. They are professionals in conflict resolution, law enforcement, the armed forces, international mediation, and peacebuilding”, states Hoffman.

 

Saves Money and Other Resources

“It is now recognized that prevention is less costly than ending violence. Waging and ending a war costs more than peacekeeping, and peacekeeping costs more than prevention. The same applies at home. Unresolved conflict and violence in the workplace costs millions of dollars.  In addition to the financial costs there are human and social costs, lost opportunities and debilitating long-term wounds.”

 
How it Works

Hoffman explains how it works. “The ER Unit follows a model for intervention which includes an early and holistic assessment of the situation, immediate crisis management to stabilize an environment, and then assisting with the transition to full recovery and renewal.”

 
A Delicate Matter: Concerns and Cautions

Hoffman recognizes that there often concerns and cautions involved with matters of violence prevention and that anybody involved in an intervention must be aware of them and act accordingly.

He elaborates, “confronting conflict and recognizing that the potential for violence exists isn’t an easy thing to do. While we know that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, it takes a lot of courage for managers and leaders to admit that there might be a problem and then to solicit outside help. Our ER Unit places special emphasis on conducting assessments and interventions in a respectful and situationally-appropriate manner.”

 

For more information, contact:

Ben Hoffman, PhD

President

Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation

613.237.9050

ciian@ciian.org

www.ciian.org

Suite1105-1 Nicholas Street

Ottawa, Ontario