Security and Development: Violence as the primary cause of poverty

Modern violence is becoming the primary cause of poverty. Countries not affected by destructive cycles of violent conflict escape poverty (The economics of violence, TheEconomist 16 April 2011). And, new forms of violence has potentially a large impact on the world as a whole.

Modern states focus and answer the concerns and demands of their citizens (Robert Rotberg, 2004). The report describes how injustice, corruption, unemployment, bad governance and human rights abuses can precipitate violence, and how confidence between the state and its citizens and the creation of legitimate institutions can resolve it.

Over a third of the poor in low income countries, that is 1.5 billion people, live in fragile and conflict-affected states, hence, no fragile or conflict-affected state has yet achieved a single MDG (Robert B. Zoellick, President, World Bank Group).

Today’s engagement needs conflict-sensitive approaches in countries where conflicts are clearly present, but have not yet become violent. Naturally, women play an important role in keeping the peace and building the economy.

Reinhard Trischak, Brigadier General, Austrian Ministry for Defence and Sports – „The socio-economic impact of peacekeeping missions“
Yvonne Kasumba, Civilian Planning and Coordination Office, African Union – “Civilian capacities within the African Standby Forces” (tbc)
Wolfram Schaffar, Department of Development Studies, University of Vienna, „Intervention in fragile situations, an academic perspective“
Max Santner, Platform Global Responsibility, Austrian Red Cross – „How civil society meets the security challenge in fragile contexts“
Konstantin Huber, Austrian Executive Director, Worldbank, „Recommendations and implementation by the Worldbank“

Chair:
Amb. Freudenschuss-Reichl, Director General, Austrian Development Cooperation