Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 04/2014

Conflict Transformation: Transforming cultures of violence to overcome injustice and poverty

Olloriak Sawade

February 2014

Oxfam Publishing

Abstract

Oxfam works to ensure that the fundamental right of all people to life and security is respected, both through its responses to humanitarian emergencies and by addressing violent conflict, be it direct, cultural or structural, as one of the key drivers of poverty. Through thorough conflict analysis, founded on the experience and insight of local partners, Oxfam’s work moves beyond conflict-sensitive aid to specific work designed to transform conflicts into peaceful societies. Oxfam’s core goals – such as gender justice, an equitable distribution of natural resources, and the right to be heard for all people – are vital elements of peaceful societies, and, in the long-term, vital to any reduction in the number of conflict-related humanitarian crises.