Building Resilience and Social Cohesion in Conflict

Abstract

Examinations of the effectiveness of diplomacy in conflict resolution generally focus on official political institutions and the roles that they play. This article takes a different tack and focuses on the social institutions and groups that exist in and are affected by a conflict environment. This article argues that conflict resilience— which we define here as the ability to resist and recover from conflict — and its ability to contribute to social cohesion are key dimensions of the ability to manage conflict in the types of conflicts that are prevalent in the world today. We examine several different definitions and examples of conflict resilience, and identify actions that outside actors can take to support resilient institutions and groups, particularly in the areas of supporting effective domestic institutions, promoting inclusion and encouraging good leadership.

Mainstreaming Institutional Resilience and Systems Strengthening in Donor Policies and Programming

“…A system is resilient if its institutions provide the tools for social cooperation, possibly across conflict lines, that allow for a quick and effective response to possible challenges. (Aall and Crocker, 2019;Aligica & Tarko, 2014). Institutions that build relations with citizens and gain citizens' trust are, in turn, more resilient (Anderson & Tollenaere, 2020).…”

“…Resilience in the context of violent conflict, fragility, stability, and peacebuilding represents the capacities of a system, household, community, institution, or wider society to resist, absorb, adapt, or transform stressors that might otherwise damage systems and lead to violent conflict (see Aall and Crocker, 2019;Baker, 2017). 1 Institutions that otherwise perform well in times of stability can become deficient or collapse during times of crisis or can have difficulty recovering from a shock (Anderson & Tollenaere, 2020).…”

“…Resilience encompasses a range of processes: the ability to absorb stress (to bounce back from a shock and return to original condition); to adapt (to cope with shocks while retaining much of the entity's original identity); or to transform (a complete change in the structure and modes of operation from the original state, when it can no longer cope in its existing form), while maintaining the same purpose(Aall and Crocker, 2019;Baker, 2017).…”

A Society’s Resilience to Conflict: An Analysis of Its Key Determinants in Conflict-Prone Rakhine State of Myanmar

“…In this particular study, resilience only refers to the community level, where the study will focus on how a particular society or community is resilient to conflict in times of violence. Moreover, conflict resilience also conceptually refers to what Aall & Crocker [7] claims to be 'the ability to resist or recover from conflict and support social cohesion by preserving institutions, relationships and patterns of behavior that form the foundation of cohesion'.…”

The Many Faces of Power in Diplomatic Negotiations

“…According to Aall and Crocker, resilience is associated with three fundamental qualities: 1) the ability to return to (and maintain) status quo ante, by relying on the enduring nature of political institutions, social relationships and economic interactions; 2) adaptability; and 3) the ability to adopt radical change while maintaining the original spirit of past activities. 52 Resilience requires resources that encompass sources of both hard and soft power, tactical dexterity under conditions of risk, and the propensity to embrace improvisation and creativity in times of uncertainty. The ongoing diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its neighbors offers a practical illustration of resilience as a show of power.…”