The impact of armed violence on poverty and development

This paper examines the extent to which armed violence and small arms and light weapons possession and usage, impoverishes individuals, groups, societies and states. The paper offers suggestions on how donors and agencies working in the field of armed violence and development can work better together to alleviate such poverty. A number of key findings that emerged from the case studies, including:

• Armed violence has had almost entirely negative impacts in terms of displacement, damage to education, health, and agriculture, and impoverished large sections of communities and populations
  
• In almost all the internal conflicts examined, gross domestic product declined under the impact of armed violence
  
• Gun cultures and an acceptance of violence as a legitimate way to settle differences are often a feature of prolonged armed violence.

The authors offer a number of conclusions/recommendations, including:

• If the lives of the poor or impoverished are to be improved, it is unlikely that this can be achieved without considering insecurity, which is frequently caused or exacerbated by armed violence
  
• Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger: this goal will be difficult to meet due to the loss of livelihoods, unemployment, displacement and changes in household composition through the experience of armed violence
  
• Achieving universal primary education: unlikely to be met due to the destruction of schools, disruption to schooling and diversion of state revenues from social expenditure to military spending
  
• Develop an integrated approach: Better linkages need to be made between development programming that potentially addresses root causes of armed violence, including poverty, and programming which is more oriented to managing weapons
  
• Build a peace economy: development programming cannot be effective unless it takes into account the socio-economic changes brought about by violence
  
• Promote alternative livelihoods: for those most likely to revert to armed violence and those taking part in the illicit economy should be a priority.