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The Ethical Economy of Conflict Prevention and Development (Nijhoff Law Specials) R.

Central to the current development debate is the importance of human welfare in the context of group conflict. Hence, when considering ethnic, racial and religious conflict, this debate draws us towards a 'political economy' of conflict. Moreover, notions of an economic paradigm have become prominent when international organizations debate conflict prevention. In looking closer at the 'political economy' of conflict, this publication argues the need to assimilate into our thinking distinct social and ethical economies of conflict prevention. A social economy of conflict prevention considers the interplay of economic with structural and cultural factors in conflict, revealing a much neglected category of conflict, hidden conflict. An ethical economy of conflict prevention considers implicit ethical statements development practitioners inadvertently use. From these statements arise ethical paradoxes that can influence the economic paradigm in such a way that it is at variance with its intrinsic desire: to restrict conflict prevention strategies to effective technical interventions. Eventually, such narrow focus on technical interventions also serves to identify the economic paradigm as an 'economical' paradigm. A rethinking of the ethical economy of conflict prevention provides a useful tool for international organizations when implementing a human rights-based approach to the economic paradigm.