The Line Between Conflict and Incidences of Violence

I’m in Indonesia this week, and through conversations with representatives of NGOs, multilateral institutions, and random taxi drivers, I have been thinking a lot about the line between conflict and incidences of violence. More than a decade after the democratic transition in Indonesia, large-scale conflict has largely subsided. Aceh is mostly at peace now, and regional conflicts in Sulawesi, the Malukus, and Papua have lessened since the height of conflict.

 Despite the decrease in conflict, there are still high levels of community violence. Violence is largely driven by “popular justice,” or vigilantism, driven by the lack of faith in the justice system. There is little official response to this violence, so this small-scale violence remains prevalent.

 But small-scale violence is a fact of life around the world. So how does violence relate to conflict?

As has been shown in Indonesia and elsewhere, localized violence plus an outside incident can quickly lead to more widespread conflict. The government and other actors have recognized this, and put in place early warning mechanisms, but they remain inactive and underfunded. Various other actors and programs, such as the IREX implemented program, Promoting Tolerance and Dialogue through Interactive Theater in Eastern Indonesia, work with communities to build trust and fight religious intolerance. To prevent a return to conflict in these areas, there must be a concerted effort to improve the conflict prevention infrastructure—from improved police forces and justice system to active and funded early warning systems—while simultaneously improving attitudes towards peace among the communities.

Here’s a great video which describes research the World Bank and other partners are doing on violence and conflict, and their implications for development:

Side note: Stay tuned for something a little lighter next post – a food tour of Jakarta.

Katie Sheketoff is a Program Officer at IREX

Photo Source