This WIDER conference (held in Helsinki, Finland on 4th and 5th June 2004) aimed to increase the focus of economists on conflict issues, and to facilitate interaction between economists and other social scientists working on conflict and post-conflict reconstruction.
Latest in a series organised by UNU-WIDER that has addressed some of the most vital global issues, the conference explored the causes of civil war and genocide, the role of economic and political factors in generating peace, and strategies for making sure that peace holds once wars end. The conference looked at experiences in post-conflict reconstruction, ways to achieve greater poverty reduction in societies rebuilding from war, and the violence that affects women and girls in wartime (and how best to ensure that they benefit from peace). Specific country focuses included Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Colombia, the Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Conference topics included:
- violent conflict and its causes
- conflict prevention and peace-keeping
- post-conflict reconstruction
- foreign aid to conflict and post-conflict countries
- poverty and human development effects of conflict.
WWW site includes full text of selected conference papers.