Violent intra-state conflict and civil wars involving small arms have killed and maimed millions of people in the world. At present there are over 30 such conflict zones in the world; Kashmir, Darfur, Israel-Palestine, Sir Lanka being a few examples. There are other latent conflicts with a fragile peace, Northern Ireland is an example of this. There are devastating human and social consequences in places that have had protracted conflicts. The loss of human life is the most evident, but beyond that there are other losses in conflict zones. The local economy is ruined and proper education for children becomes impossible. Women and children face the brunt of the abuse of power by warring parties. What will it take to secure peace in these zones of conflict?
CIJR works in partnership with other NGO’s to bring transformation to conflict through peaceful means. We believe that peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Peace can be described as the transformation of relations between warring parties characterized by tolerance, human rights and justice. CIJR works as a catalyst for peace and reconciliation.
In May 2007, a member of the CIJR team attended the United Nations Informal Thematic Debate of the General Assembly on “Civilizations and the Challenge for Peace: obstacles and opportunities”.