Accuracy test

working together to improve co-operation in the area of conflict prevention and resolution).

with policy input on conflict prevention.

Also, many other existing organisations have paid serious attention to conflict prevention.

The

initiative core elements in their policies and activities or written reports and recommendations on the subject. Many foreign ministries have 'crisis-' or 'conflict- prevention' units now. Many foreign policy think tanks have research programs on conflict prevention, like the

inter-personal informal groups, opinion-formers, eminent personalities

small community local-government, legitimate political representatives, church ecumeny

Communal local-government, social-cultural

organizations, NGOs, women organizations

Regional Foundations, Institutions, NGOs

intra-state ombudsman, United Nations High

Commissioner on National Minorities

inter-state Governments, The Hague International

Court of Justice, OSCE Vienna Conflict Prevention Center, UN High

Commissioner on National Minorities

The practical uses of the different stages above are discussed below:

On small community level: one of the suggested response levels to warnings are the local governments. This is because they are the closest to the grassroots where majority of the population of many third-world nations reside and high potentials for violent conflicts especially in multi-ethnic and multi-religious countries. This lends credence to the need to have structures for monitoring and promoting peace in at all levels of social settings.

On communal level : one can highlight the role of religious organizations such as churches and mosques. In some cases third party intervention (e.g. non-governmental organization) played an important role in initiating joint activities between churches which

have had long lasting conflicts. The Prague based NGO, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly has been successful in the role of interrmediator during a seminar on religious minorities held in Bucharest, Romania in 1992.

On inter-state level : the role of the ombudsman/ombudswoman cannot be underestimated, however, the proper institutional framework and attitude must be present for it to serve our objective in this context. For example, there was the ombudsman during the dark days of military rule in Nigeria and despite that, there were many cases of flagrant abuses of human rights that generated tension and conflicts in many multi ethnic and multi-religious societies. The role of High Commissioner on Ethnic Minorities is of key importance both on intra-state and inter-state levels for having a specific and explicit early warning mandate and capability of contributing substantially to conflict prevention. This is very instructive in settings with history of inter and intra-groups animosities.

In using early warning systems for the prevention ethno-political conflicts, some experts, like Michael Lund suggests the use of both ‘soft’ (including diplomacy, building of local institutions) and ‘hard’ preventive tools (military force) while other experts are in favour of either the one or the other from the two above mentioned tools.

Suggested policy response levels to early warning signs of ethno-political conflicts inter-personal citizens’ diplomacy, mediation, civic

education, police reform

small community citizens’ diplomacy, fair representation in local government’s decision-making, police reform, human rights education

Communal citizens’ diplomacy, managing differences, distributive policies, problem-solving workshops, inter-communal trade, human rights

education, power-sharing arrangements

Regional Trans-boundary-co-operation of local

governments, trans-boundary economic and environmental co-operation,

transnational mediation, targeted development assistance

intra-state media literacy, minority broadcast, multicultural education, legal reforms, human rights monitoring, mediation, leadership training, training on conflict management through mediation

inter-state preventive diplomacy, track-two

diplomacy, OSCE Human Dimension mechanism, exchange programmes, bilateral agreements, economic integration, non-official facilitation, joint training programs on

environmental issues, natural resources management, good offices, unilateral good will gestures, open-sky

agreements, non-official facilitation

In understanding the table above, we start by examining the inter-personal level of relationships in the context of conflict prevention. Since individuals are very central and crucial to the escalation or prevention of violence, it thus follows that conflicts can be reduced to inter-personal level as depicted above. At this stage as well as on small community and communal level one of the suggested policies is citizens’ diplomacy. By citizens’ diplomacy, we refer to civic initiatives by private individuals or non-official organizations, all attempts to reconcile tensions between different ethnic groups through exchange of programs, informal meetings and mediation programs.

In recent times, due to its global capacity, the media is becoming one of the most powerful and influential factor in ethno-political conflict situations, so one of the suggested policies already on communal but more particularly on regional, intra-state and inter-state levels is positive journalism. The aim of positive journalism is to counteract hate-journalism and to stimulate give room for productions and publications which emphasize peaceful resolutions of conflicts, collaborative problem-solving, a balance of different opinions between target groups and stimulate the identification of common ground.

At intra-state and inter-state levels preventive diplomacy offers hope if included both in the domestic and foreign policy of the countries in with volatile inter and intra-ethnic relations. According to Michael Lund ‘Preventive policy means a pro-active engagement in at the early stages of low-level potential conflicts or related crisis, involving governmental or non-governmental, political, economic or other efforts to keep states or communal groups from threatening or using armed force or coercion as the way to settle political disputes that arise from the destabilizing effects of national or international change. It aims to discourage or minimise hostilities, reduce tensions, address differences,

attempt violence.’ The preceding are aimed to assist the systematic activity of the early warners while identifying the audience, exchanging information on specific crisis situations, contributing to monitoring the development process and in initiating the most appropriate preventive measures.

4.0 Conclusion

Conflict prevention is very germane to early warning systems and this why thus unit has given it the desired attention. The effectiveness of any early warning system is measurable by the extent to which it can prevent violent conflict. Therefore, conflict prevention is a process that needs valid and reliable early warning to be effective.

5.0 Summary

The unit presented the intrinsic relationship between early warning system and conflict prevention. Illustrations were given on how to prevent ethno-political conflicts after identifying the early warning signs of conflicts. The constraints encountered in the process of preventing violent conflicts b individuals and organizations working at different levels from the individual to the international levels.

6.0 Tutor Marked Assignments

• Describe the relationship between early warning signs and conflict prevention citing examples.

• How can ethno-political conflicts be prevented in multi-ethnic state.

7.0 References and Further Reading

Meier, P.P and Linotte, D. Early Warning Mechanisms and Conflict Prevention

Chernick, M and Bailey, J. (2005). A Methodology of Democratic Conflict Convention and Early Warning in Latin America. Georgetown University and United Nations Development Programme.

Module 4

Unit 1: Response in the Context of Early Warning Unit 2: Case Studies

Unit 3: Contributions of Governments, Regional/Continental Organizations and UN to various Early Warning Information and Conflict Management.