Partnerships in Conflict: How Violent Conflict Impacts Local Civil Society and How International Partners Respond

Author(s)
Stephen, M.
Publication language
Chinese
Pages
56pp
Date published
30 Oct 2017
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Conflict, violence & peace, Working in conflict setting, Partnerships
Countries
Myanmar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan
Organisations
Oxfam, International Alert

This report summarizes the findings of new research on the impact of violent conflict on civil society organizations (CSOs) and the implications for international actors who partner with them. It finds that local CSOs working in violent conflict settings are more important than ever, as they are at the forefront in responding to the needs of the millions of civilians caught up in violent conflict around the world. Where international actors struggle to get access to contested territories and rely on national or local CSOs to reach conflict-affected communities, partnerships allow life-saving resources to reach the people who need them most. And as commitments to localization grow, international funding flows to CSOs are set to increase. Yet this study finds that international actors often fail to understand the highly politicized and insecure environments they operate in and do not do enough to support and strengthen the CSOs with whom they work.