UK aid can and should be used to increase security for poor people, peacebuilding NGO Conciliation Resources says, but stable societies are more often secured through addressing the root causes of conflict and building inclusive societies, rather than military intervention.

The peacebuilding organisation, a registered charity, has made the remarks following UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s reported comments on how the UK could use DFID funding to help provide stability abroad.

Using the aid budget to support work to prevent and resolve conflict is vital, as conflict can severely hamper development.

No country that is affected by armed conflict has met the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which are due to expire in 2015. Tackling the root causes of conflict, such as inequality, political and social exclusion, and supporting accountable and legitimate governance institutions are all critical in building lasting peace to be possible, and can all be supported through development assistance.

In the countries where Conciliation Resources works, we and our partners see how closely peacebuilding and development are intertwined.

David Newton, Director of Policy, Practice and Communication

Referring to the seven contexts where the charity focuses its efforts, David Newton continued: "In Sierra Leone, our partners are helping to strengthen accountable and democratic governance in a country once ravaged by war. In the Philippines, a peace process that we have been supporting at first hand is offering a real chance for renewed development in Mindanao. In Central Africa, we are supporting local communities to address the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army."

In all of these places, aid – whether from DFID or other governments – has played a crucial role in efforts to help prevent and resolve violent conflict.

Whilst peace-keeping by armed forces can only ever be a stop gap to help stabilise a situation, peacebuilding and the prevention of conflict is a long-term process, achieved by working with the very people affected by conflict on the ground in a non-violent manner.

David Newton, Director of Policy, Practice and Communication for Conciliation Resources

In Somalia, progress is currently being made due to efforts to engage in, and support, meaningful dialogue within Somalia between different groups.

It costs far more to respond to conflict than it does to prevent it, and prevention saves lives. Investing in conflict prevention and peacebuilding is therefore integral to development assistance.

It is also important that aid should be used to support people to find their own paths to peace and we should avoid the imposition of our own standards. Well-resourced, cross-governmental mechanisms such as the Conflict Pool help the UK government respond to conflict and fragility, helping to address the multi-dimensional nature of conflict.

For more information, contact:
Sarah Bradford, Communications Manager, Conciliation Resources

Email: sbradford@c-r.org

Phone: +44 20 7288 8376