Conflict Sensitivity Mainstreaming

Communities anywhere in the world are peculiar; they have different histories, dynamics, cultures, customs, traditions, biases, prejudices, values etc. Project interventions and operations may trigger tensions in the communities, it is possible for an intervention to be successful in terms of the fact that it fulfils project objectives but it may divide people and communities. In a region with a history of militant violence where inter-ethnic conflict is still pervasive, it is important that any development program in the Niger Delta adopts a conflict-sensitive approach to ensure long-term effectiveness and social cohesion.

Our Conflict Sensitivity Mainstreaming (CSM) program is designed to incorporate peace-building and conflict sensitivity into PIND’s programs and activities in order to reduce the potential for violent conflict which could become a disincentive for economic development. The program is aimed at increasing the adoption of alternative approaches to the resolution of conflicts with a view to fostering an enabling environment for market-led development across the region. The program ensures that our economic development programs are designed and implemented in such a way that they contribute to market-led development and also address the drivers of conflict to promote lasting peace in the region.

The CSM program seeks to achieve this through the following ways:

• Capacity building for PIND staff on conflict analyses, conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding.
• Ensuring conflict analyses are done by program teams prior to implementation through the identification and understanding of the drivers and dynamics of local conflicts.
• Incorporating peacebuilding/conflict sensitivity systems and response mechanisms into PIND programming, monitoring and evaluation.
• Integrating conflict sensitivity into PIND’s policies and administration operations such as hiring staff and consultants, creating safe spaces to discuss negative impacts of projects on the conflict contexts, procurement, budgets and allocation of funds etc.
• Incorporating conflict analysis into project design and ensuring that projects are designed based on the results of the analysis. This will also involve constantly referring to the analysis during planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and allowing the analysis to guide all activities in the intervention.

Learn more about Conflict Sensitivity and Mainstreaming here