what is elements of international armed conflict ?

elections, reform processes, economic growth, inequality, employment, social groups and composition, demographics and resource exploitation)Īctors: Who are the actors that influence conflict? What political, economic, social and environmental institutions and structures have shaped conflict? (e.g.when? How many people killed and displaced? Who is targeted? Methods of violence? Where?) Profile: What is the context that shapes conflict?

For example, see the timeline below of conflict events in Liberia (1977-2011).įigure 1: Timeline of conflict events in Liberia (1977-2011) The overarching question for the conflict profile is – what is the context that shapes conflict? The box at the end of this page presents practical exercises for analysing the conflict profile and dynamics. The box below summarises the main guiding questions for conflict analysis and examples of their practical application. Mac Ginty, 2013) – such as the idea of structural causes. Some criticise the words used in the toolkits as being technocratic, and thereby disguising the political nature of these problems (e.g. Within the policy and practitioner literature, there is general consensus on how to use and understand these terms, as explained in the many toolkits and manuals. The literature widely uses the same concepts to describe conflicts – actors, causes, dynamics, triggers and scenarios. An understanding of these processes of mobilisation is critical to understanding violent conflict.

People and groups do not randomly fight each other, even if stark inequalities or other grievances prevail in a society, they need to be mobilised. Violent conflict is about politics, power, contestation between actors and the (re)shaping of institutions for the benefit of some (and at the expense of others).

What is elements of international armed conflict ?