Peace and Health

1
Peace and Health

• CSIH Position Paper
• Pamela Thompson
• Inpro Consulting Inc.
• August 2000

2
Overview of paper

• Peace, health and development are inextricably
  linked
• CSIH Board priority raise awareness and
  encourage action of theme
• This position paper
• Introduces elements of peaceful and developed
  societies,
• Identifies some warning signs of potential
  conflict and instability
• Cites a number of impacts of war and conflict on
  human health
• Values/guiding principles for action
• War/conflict to peace continuum with intervention
  points

3
Introduction and Rationale

• International acknowledgement Peace is a
  fundamental condition for achieving health
• Generally, where prerequisites for health are
  met, there is peace whereas war exerts a
  detrimental impact
• Conflict resolution is a key activity for peace,
  health and development processwhat is the role
  of the health sector?
• Civil wars now more common we need
  inter-sectoral responses to complex humanitarian
  emergencies AND support longer-term development

4
Elements/conditions of Peaceful and Developed
Societies
Peace
Health Human Rights
Democracy
Development
United Nations, 1998, International Year of
Culture of Peace Document
5
Warning Signs of Potential Conflict and
Instability

• Economic and social inequalities
• Breakdown of elements of peaceful and developed
  societies, e.g. basic needs not met, lack of
  respect for human rights, etc.
• Conflict may be focused along cultural/ethnic
  lines, e.g. groups in competition for resources

6
The Impact of War and Conflict on Human Health

• Death, injury and long-term disability, mental
  health problems
• Increases in sexually transmitted diseases (e.g.
  HIV/AIDS)
• Increases in domestic and sexual violence and
  crime
• Increases in communicable diseases
• Dislocation of populations, mass migrations loss
  of kin and social networks, influxes of refugees
  with associated overcrowding,
• Deterioration and destruction of health, social,
  economic and political infrastructures
• Widening gaps between the rich and the poor
• Fustukian, (undated) Humblet Biot , (1999)
  and Aaby, (1999)

7
Values/guiding Principles

• peacebuilding as a developmental process requires
  sustained commitment and creativity
• internally driven and indigenously controlled
  
• requires a variety of actors working
  collaboratively
• health development contributes to conflict
  management, stabilization, Bridge to Peace
  www.who.int/cha/trares/hbp/indes.htm
• root causes of conflict must be addressed
• local development key to addressing conflict
• prevention is best option an international
  responsibility
• empowerment main objective and resources of
  development

8
The War/conflict and Peace Continuum
Intervention Points
Armed Conflict Post Conflict/
Peace and
Pre-conflict War Transition
Period Stabilization Sustainable
Development
Prevention Relief Rehabilitation
Development
Intervening when warning signs have been
identified, before armed conflict erupts.
Longer term usually longer than 2 years.
Overlaps with relief.
Short term assistance about 1 year in length .
9
Weaknesses Related to International Aid, Peace
and Development in Societies in Conflict

• Reactive, short-term interventions
• Restoration of health system, not reform
• Few linked relief and development peacebuilding
  activities
• Need for preventative conflict monitoring
• Little recognition of peacebuilding, need for
  internal actors
• Few evaluations of post-conflict work

10
A Desired Future

• Transformed World envisions a society in which
  power is more widely shared and in which new
  social coalitions work from the grass roots up to
  shape what institutions and governments do.
  Although markets become effective tools for
  economic progress, they do not substitute for
  deliberate social choices economic competition
  exists but does not outweigh the larger needs for
  cooperation and solidarity among the worlds
  peoples and for the fulfillment of basic human
  needs. In effect, this optimistic vision asserts
  the possibility of fundamental change for the
  better in politics, in social institutions, in
  the environment. (Hammond, 1998, p. 24)

11
Priority Areas For Action

• Evaluation and Research which interventions?
• Coordination of International Assistance and
  Relief Efforts
• External Aid/Funding long-term efforts required
• Health Policy and Planning addressing
  inequalities
• Capacity-Building of Formal and Informal Health
  Workers

12
Conclusion

• Link between peace/conflict and
  health/development is clear
• Need for understanding roots of conflict and
  prevention
• Conflict resolution strategies can be integrated
  with health and development work
• peace-building is an organic system that
  requires relationships and coordination of
  multiple activities, multiple roles at multiple
  levels. No one activity and no one level will be
  able to deliver and sustain peace on its own
  (Lederach, People Building Peace, 1999).