Livelihoods and Conflict: A Toolkit for Intervention

The toolkit identifies the key issues and methods for understanding the common impact of conflict on livelihoods and the ways one can address the most vital needs of those affected by conflict. The toolkit applied livelihoods analysis chiefly in situations of violence or serious conflict involving destruction of homes and displacement of persons.

This document is intended to provide USAID mission staff, their partners, and others working in countries affected by conflict and insta bility with: 1) an examination of the relationship between conflict and people's livelihoods; 2) lessons in developing livelihoods programs-including an introduction to livelihood analysis; 3) a range of program options designed to reduce livelihood vulnerability, strengthen resiliency, and help people manage conflict-related shocks; and 4) listings of relevant USAID mechanisms, implementing partners, and contact infor mation.

The toolkits in this series explore individual risk factors in depth. They are designed to serve as companion pieces to conflict assessments. Conflict assessments provide a broad overview of destabilizing patterns and trends in a society. They sift through the many potential causes of conflict and focus in on those that are most likely to lead to violence (or renewed violence) in a particular context. While conflict assessments provide recommendations about how to make development and humanitarian assistance more responsive to conflict dynamics, they do not provide detailed guidance on how to design specific activities. The toolkits in this series are intended to fill that gap by moving from a diagnosis of the problem to a more detailed discussion of potential interventions. Together, the assessment framework and toolkits help missions gain a deeper understanding of the forces driving violence and develop more strategic, focused, and effective interventions.