Exploring the Need for an Integrated Conflict Sensitivity Framework in Development Assistance that Contributes to Peaceful and Sustainable Post-conflict Societies

Abstract

Over the last three decades, studies on conflict sensitivity largely focused on organizational, institutional, technical, and capacity barriers by ignoring the political barriers. Likewise, existing conflict sensitivity approaches, such as ‘Do No Harm’, ‘Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment’ have failed to dig beneath the post-conflict contexts and see the underlying fragilities that can potentially lead to reoccurrence of conflict. These fragilities are diverse, dynamic, and constantly emerging. Bad governance, Climate change impact, stalled transitional justice or food insecurity provide some examples, which continue to fuel nonviolent conflicts and disrupt the path to sustainable peace. As a result, the successful application of conflict sensitivity by development donors in post-conflict development has brought mixed results. In this context, this study proposes Integrated Conflict Sensitivity Framework-ICSF, which is informed by the political settlement framework to critique, interrogate, and reconceptualize conflict sensitivity in post-conflict development. Such politically informed conflict sensitive approach understands as well as analyses how donors should understand the formal political system as well as informal unarticulated political processes that determine the political and economic behaviors of a post-conflict state. Finally, ICSF advocates for inclusive structures, resources distribution and decision-making, which are crucial to peacebuilding, legitimacy, and development in post-conflict.