Conflict Transformation
Worldwide, over a billion people live with the impact of armed conflict every day. They struggle with abject poverty, social exclusion, fear and insecurity. Their chances for advancement are minimal at best.
With the Conflict Transformation programme, Cordaid is attempting to use these conflict situations to bring about sustainable, positive change. Development projects in the programme are not only focused on the immediate consequences of a conflict (like relief for refugees) but designed to get at the root causes. People can only better themselves when they are safe, actively involved in solutions, able to assert their rights and in a position to earn their daily bread.
Recource and political conflicts go hand in hand
The conflict transformation programme focuses on areas plagued by politically motivated extreme violence, where the population pays the price for the fight between rebels, terrorist organisations, bandits and criminals, army and police. In many countries, like Sudan, the Congo and Guatemala, resource conflicts and political conflicts go hand in hand. The harvesting of natural resources confronts local communities with pollution of the living environment, loss of agricultural land and organised physical violence.
It's about trying to heal the rifts
In countries like Afghanistan and Colombia, and areas like the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Palestinian Territories, where the conflict has gone on for generations, the social fabric has been severely unravelled and the infrastructure has been destroyed. Citizens try to build a future with their own hands, but even the slightest progress takes extreme effort. These countries and areas are torn by conflicting interests and population groups: soldiers and former soldiers of different armies and rival militias, refugees trying to return home, displaced peoples wandering with nowhere to go, traumatised women and children, ethnic minorities and powerful elites. Together with our partners, we are working to build bridges where division reigns, and trying to heal the rifts that lie at the root of tensions and violence. At the heart of the reconstruction work lies the restoration of social and societal relationships. Along with dialogue within the society, we pursue the restoration of facilities on the ground. Providing for basic needs, extending micro credit, and developing or restoring health care all contribute to reconciliation.
The role of women is extremely important
In societies torn apart by violence and armed conflict, Cordaid sees a crucial role for social organisations and religious leaders in the reconciliation process. The participation of women in peace processes is the focus of our special attention, because this is an area in which women are extremely underrepresented. In countries like Burundi, Cordaid is training hundreds of women to enable them to take up representational positions. At the same time, we are lobbying for the implementation of UN resolutions on promoting the role of women in resolving conflict situations.
We work together
Our partners are social organisations, human rights defenders, feminists, peace-builders and scholars. Some work in remote areas, while others work in world capitals. Together we form a Global Community of Change in order to achieve a just peace. Conflict Transformation is a vast field and Cordaid can not be active on all possible angles and aspects without losing focus. Cordaid uses previous experience and existing networks (contacts) to specialize on certain aspects of CT.
The focal themes are:
