This post originally appeared on XCEPT, a programme which Chemonics is a leading partner. More than thirty years after some scholars wondered if the end of the Cold War might herald the end of war as we know it, humanity is fighting at least 27 armed conflicts, more than at any time since the Second World War. Two billion…
Economic development does not happen in a vacuum. Each country has unique attributes and challenges that can affect program outcomes – from local identity politics to tensions over resources – and attitudes towards minorities. Promoting economic growth in fragile and conflict-affected areas adds an additional layer of complexity as programs run the risk of exacerbating…
Traditional interpretations of security that focus on ‘gates, guards, and guns’ can lead to the perception that project resources are being diverted from development to security objectives. Consequently, security within development projects is often seen as a zero-sum game. At times, security measures may feel unrealistic given the operating environment, time or budget constraints, and perceptions that…
BFRP leveraged its $9.5 million transition activities pool (TAP) to implement 220 activities supporting locally led solutions to address the most pressing sources of instability in the program’s target communities. BFRP awarded grants to 114 partners consisting of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community groups, and host-country government offices. BFRP cleared its first activity in October…
This post originally appeared on the XCEPT project website. In February 2021, three months into the war in Tigray in northern Ethiopia, researchers noticed something that would confirm their worst fears about the nature of the conflict. With a communications blackout and access to the region largely closed off, the team from research organisation Vigil…
Countries already suffering from conflict and instability are often also on the frontlines of climate change. In Mali, rainfall has decreased by about 30% in the last 40 years, a severe crisis in a country where 80% of people depend on rain-fed agriculture. In Yemen, climate change has increased the country’s vulnerability to droughts and floods, deepening acute…
Chemonics’ recently published toolkit offers peacebuilders a practical guide to applying “Elite Bargains and Political Deals” (EBPD) theory to their activities. Through her work delivering stabilization programming in Mali, Jaclyn Grace co-authored the toolkit. She explains how EBPD theory helps development practitioners see localized conflicts in a new light. 1. What is Elite Bargains and Political Deals…
The event examined how informal power drives conflict through the lens of “Elite Bargains and Political Deals” theory. By exploring the new approach’s potential, the presenters sketched a roadmap for engaging often elusive power brokers in peacebuilding programming. Panelists, drawn from across academia and implementation, discussed how “Elite Bargains and Political Deals” theory sheds new…
Today’s conflicts are long, intractable, and more complicated than ever. The last decade saw a marked rise in state-based armed conflict for the first time since the end of the Cold War, all involving non-state actors. Radicalization, organized crime, climate change — and now pandemics — bring new challenges to convoluted conflict systems. Yet, the…
Michael has spent much of the past decade working in conflict-affected environments, mostly as an adviser for FCDO and USAID OTI programs in locations including Uruzgan and Syria. He also served as the civilian stabilization adviser to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Syria/Iraq Stabilization Review in 2017. In 2020 he led the startup team…
The free, open-access toolkit provides organizations a step-by-step guide to plan and run a two-to-four-day workshop on applying “Elite Bargains and Political Deals” (EBPD) theory in community-level conflicts. The workshop explains foundational EBPD concepts and helps local organizations translate theory into practical peace and stabilization activities. Peacebuilding and stabilization efforts must consider informal power structures…
Since 2012, Mali has faced a succession of violent conflicts. This violence has fractured Mali’s political landscape, with several warring factions holding power in different parts of the country. In Mali’s Sahel region, local and international NGOs are promoting dialogue among influential groups to revitalize the stalling peace process, reduce violence, and deliver long-term stability.…