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The Root Causes of Conflict: Some Conclusions

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  • Frances Stewart

Abstract

This paper analyses the 'root' causes of complex humanitarian emergencies (CHEs) on the basis of studies conducted in a UNU/WIDER project on social and economic causes of CHEs; and identifies policies that appear relevant to the prevention of conflict. The paper regards horizontal inequality (i.e. inequality among groups, in contrast to vertical inequality which measures inequality among individuals) as the fundamental source of organised conflict. Such horizontal inequality may have political, economic or social dimensions. The case studies indicate that CHEs occur where group identity coincides with horizontal inequality that is consistent, and often widening, over a number of dimensions. Preventative policies need to be addressed towards correcting horizontal inequality along the relevant dimensions. Where conflicts are already underway, it is also necessary to introduce policies to change the private incentives of those who carry it out towards alternative peaceful occupations. Preventative policies thus require inclusive government, politically, economically and socially. Such policies do not form part of the current political or economic conditionality exercised by the international community, and may sometimes contradict this conditionality.

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  • Frances Stewart, "undated". "The Root Causes of Conflict: Some Conclusions," QEH Working Papers qehwps16, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:qeh:qehwps:qehwps16
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    File URL: http://workingpapers.qeh.ox.ac.uk/RePEc/qeh/qehwps/qehwps16.pdf
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    1. David Turton, 1997. "War and ethnicity: Global connections and local violence in North East Africa and former Yugoslavia," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 77-94.
    2. John C. H. Fei & Gustav Ranis & Shirley W. Y. Kuo, 1978. "Growth and the Family Distribution of Income by Factor Components," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 92(1), pages 17-53.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tilman Bruck & Kati Schindler, 2009. "The Impact of Violent Conflicts on Households: What Do We Know and What Should We Know about War Widows?," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 289-309.
    2. repec:pru:wpaper:18 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Helen Barnes, 2005. "Conflict, Inequality and Dialogue for Conflict Resolution in Latin America: The Cases of Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela," Human Development Occasional Papers (1992-2007) HDOCPA-2005-03, Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    4. Håvard Hegre & Gudrun Østby & Clionadh Raleigh, 2009. "Poverty and Civil War Events," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 53(4), pages 598-623, August.
    5. Patricia Justino, 2004. "Redistribution, Inequality And Political Conflict," Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2004 143, Royal Economic Society.
    6. Mr. Michael Sarel, 1997. "How Macroeconomic Factors Affect Income Distribution: The Cross-Country Evidence," IMF Working Papers 1997/152, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Frances Stewart, 2003. "Income distribution and development," Chapters, in: John Toye (ed.), Trade and Development, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Nicholas Sambanis, 2002. "A Review of Recent Advances and Future Directions in the Quantitative Literature on Civil War," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 215-243.

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