7 Principals for Peacebuilding through Foreign Assistance Reform
Dec 10, 2009
December 8, 2009Bridget Moix, FCNL Legislative Secretary
7 Principles for Enhancing Peacebuilding in US Foreign Assistance
Notes for a panel on Reforming Foreign Assistance given at the John Hopkins School of International Relations (SAIS)
A. 3 Reasons to Incorporate Peacebuilding into Development and Foreign Aid Reform:
1. Violent conflict is one of the greatest obstacles to development. It destroys political, economic, and social structures and relations that are needed to build healthy societies where the natural occurrence of human conflict can be handled without resort to violence. Development grinds to a halt in the midst of violence and often backslides severely.
2. Too often foreign aid has (unintentionally) fueled and deepened social divisions, even directly contributing to violent conflict at times, rather than encouraged and strengthened capacities for peace.
3. 60% of countries that receive US foreign aid are recovering from, in the midst of, or on the verge of violent conflict.
In this context, any reform of US foreign aid should make mitigating and preventing deadly conflict a primary goal.
B. 7 Principles that reform efforts should seek to advance, with hopes of stimulating further discussion and ideas.
1. Civilian Control – Most important principle for current reforms to address
a. Over the past couple decades DoD (Department of Defense) has gained increasing control in both direction and delivery of humanitarian and development assistance. Between 1998 and 2005, the percent of ODA (Overseas Development Assistance) controlled by DoD rose from 3.5% to nearly 22%, while USAID’s percent fell from 65% to 40%.
b. As USAID and State Department capacities are rebuilt, control of direction and delivery needs to be returned to civilian agencies.
c. Trend toward the military must be halted and reversed.
2. Do No Harm
a. Strengthen conflict-sensitivity throughout US foreign aid
b. CMM (Conflict Management and Mitigation) should be expanded and made the primary function of USAID
c. Training in conflict sensitivity for all USAID professionals and FSOs (Foreign Service Officers)
3. More Peacebuilding Funding, More Flexibility
a. Long-term prevention funding integrated into current accounts (Genocide Prevention Task Force (GPTF) suggests $200M)
b. Flexible rapid response funding (State and Foreign Operations Appropriations $50M Crises Response Fund)
c. Strengthen and learn from OTI’s (Office of Transition Initiatives) good track record
d. Greater cohesion across civilian agencies – USAID and State on peacebuilding capacities (hybrid S/CRS-USAID proposal)
(Note: S/CRS = State Department Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization)
4. Money Can’t Buy You Love (Andrew Wilder)
a. Humanitarian and development aid as a weapon of war doesn’t work
b. Undermines both security and development
5. More Guns Don’t Bring More Security
a. US remains world’s largest weapons distributer
b. Any reform should uphold and strengthen provisions like Leahy law that condition military aid; Congress should take greater oversight for weapons sales to countries at risk of, in the midst of, or transitioning from violence
c. Security sector reform aid should be focused on building legitimate civil police and justice systems, incorporate traditional dispute resolution mechanisms where appropriate, and include restorative justice and community policing. Local populations should determine what justice systems are needed, not simply model US/Western approaches.
d. Military should not train police. And current efforts need to be brought into coherent structure under civilian control and direction. (Section 660 USAID role)
6. Peace is a Group Process
a. Coordinate with international community (including UN)
b. Work with and listen to local communities who know best.
7. The Planetary Priority
a. Future conflicts facing developing countries and indeed entire global community are likely to be exacerbated by negative effects of climate change. Migration, conflicts over dwindling or shifting resources.
b. Foreign aid reform needs to make addressing these future disruptions to environment and its impact on conflict a priority by becoming “climate- sensitive”
c. Administration proposing fund for adaptation and help to poor countries good first step but needs a more comprehensive and integrated approach across US foreign assistance.
d. “Put simply, donors should pay more attention to the weather.” – proposes Rapid Conflict Prevention Support – aid that targets countries experiencing shocks, including sudden environmental events, “It’s like preventative medicine, when we see the risk of conflict rising, foreign aid institutions should channel aid to the countries that risk violence.”
C. This is a key moment for Peaceubuilding Community to engage. Encourage bringing your ideas to these legislative and administration processes.
