Will Addressing Horizontal Inequalities Reduce the Likelihood of Political Violence?

Current approaches to peace promotion and conflict resolution focus on human security, with emphasis placed on measurable improvements in the condition and environment of each individual. Poverty reduction efforts also follow this trend, highlighting metrics such as the poverty headcount. While the individual is clearly important, there is a growing body of evidence that group dynamics can help explain the nature and likelihood of political violence. Professor Frances Stewart, Director of the Center for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity at Oxford University, has pioneered work on the policy implications of different types of group differentiation or horizontal inequalities.

Cultural, economic and political identities help determine both well-being and socio-political stability. The nature of differences between groups could reveal the potential for group mobilization and the propensity for violence. Naturally, this implies that conflict management strategies (at all stages of conflict) must take full account of horizontal inequalities. This event will seek to answer questions like: What types of horizontal inequalities make political violence most likely? What factors determine group mobilization? Is there a tipping point? How should conflict management and peace promotion strategies better account for horizontal inequalities?  Professor Stewart led a discussion on the relationship between group identities and political violence and outline recommendations for policy-makers and practitioners.

Speakers

• Frances Stewart
  Director, Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity, University of Oxford
• S. Tjip Walker
  Team Leader, Warning and Analysis, Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation, U.S. Agency for International Development
• Robert Aten
  Team Leader, Economic Policy and Governance, Office of Economic Policy, U.S. Agency for International Development
• Raymond Gilpin, Moderator
  Director, Center for Sustainable Economies, U.S. Institute of Peace

Explore

• Listen to audio from this event
• View Frances Stewart's PowerPoint presentation