The best way to deal with violent conflict is to make sure it never happens. Prevention saves the lives and livelihoods of those directly affected. It is also more cost effective than trying to manage or resolve conflict once it’s started.
To prevent conflict, having the right information and analysis at the right time is key. Interest in ‘early warning’ has grown worldwide over the past few years, including at the African Union (AU), which runs its own continental early warning system. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) works with government and other decision makers in Africa and globally to prevent conflict.
In May, an ISS training session in Addis Ababa gave early warning practitioners simple yet powerful techniques to improve their work and the way they communicate findings to decision makers. Officials were trained from institutions with early warning systems in place, such as the AU, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Organisations that intend setting up such systems also participated, including the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
‘Early warning goes beyond just knowing about an impending crisis – it’s about early attention, early alerting and early action’, says Dr Julia Bello-Schünemann, a Senior Researcher from the ISS and facilitator of the training session.
‘Getting this right requires building the evidence base on conflict trends and dynamics, including how to detect the less obvious signs of trouble that are easily missed’. These ‘weak signals’ have to be investigated, analysed and evaluated to confirm their relevance and enable improved decision making.
‘We are better equipped to contribute to the reduction of the gap generally observed between the alert and response,’ ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate analysts Gbenga Erin and Ismaila Gueye said after completing the training. ‘We can also now access additional sources of data to complete or verify our information’.
The course taught officials new analytical techniques and promoted the use of open source data. ISS training typically goes beyond imparting technical skills. Networks are built that enable knowledge sharing and collaborative problem solving that continues long after the training has ended.
‘The ISS has helped improve Africa’s early warning capacity’, says Bello-Schünemann. ‘We are also creating a community of practitioners from government, regional organisations and civil society that will make these efforts more sustainable.’
For more information contact:
Julia Bello-Schünemann, ISS: jschuenemann@issafrica.org, +234 908 4422 121