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Violence, Conflict Fueling Poverty: World Bank
Ismira Lutfia | May 05, 2011

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DrDez
12:41pm May 5, 2011

Dear Stefan

In Indonesia the regional power push is actually a creator of conflict - especially conflict against minority groups and a conflict within the regions as the money grab takes place. Testimony the growing minority violence, growing governors/officials stealing/growing Shariah based local laws

In terms of reforming the institutions can you please name the reforms please that have been effective? What about the seperation by 2008 of the TNI from state run enterprise? What about the reformation of the stste apparatus in which those who chase corruption are largley corrupt? And in terms of law reformation - Yes its a step forward the anti porn law especially since its discriminatory application blah de blah

I really do not think the application of western economic modelling applies to places like this. There are far more forces at work pulling and pushing than one would see in a place where established ecomonies run.

I cannot imagine in what protective bubble you live but it is far from the reality of most of us I feel


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Prolonged conflicts disrupt poverty reduction and development worldwide, according to a World Bank report launched at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The “World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security and Development” shows that countries with repeated cycles of violence experience lagging poverty reduction of nearly 1 percent annually. The report notes that 1.5 billion people are affected by current violence or its legacies.

“We do see conflict and violence as key issues in development because the impact is enormous, with poverty rates 20 percent higher in countries affected by conflict and violence,” said Bert Hofman, World Bank country director for the Philippines.

The report calls for the strengthening of national institutions and improvement of governance in ways that prioritize citizen security, justice and jobs.

The report also shows how conflict and violence in one country affects neighboring countries’ gross domestic product growth.

Civil war costs a medium-sized developing country the equivalent of 30 years of GDP growth, according to the report. It takes 20 years for trade levels to return to pre-war levels under these circumstances.

The report also shows that 42 million people, roughly the equivalent to the entire population of Colombia, are displaced as the result of conflict, violence or human rights abuses. Some 15 million of them are forced out of their countries, while 27 million are internally displaced.

Societies that have succeeded in dealing with violence have gone through certain transitions to transform their political, security and economic institutions, the report says.

Indonesia, having emerged from its own series of conflicts and violence, now serves as an example for democratization in addressing conflict, said Stefan Koeberle, World Bank’s Indonesia country director.

“It is also an example of decentralizing power from central to regional administrations,” Koeberle said, adding that despite glitches in the process, Indonesia had done more than any other country to make a power transition to the local levels.

Sidney Jones from the International Crisis Group said recognizing that conflicts and violence hamper development is not something new, and that development was not only an economic issue.

“I think that there’s been an assumption within the conservative links in the bank that economic development is the key alone and the best strategy to development,” she said.