Partnerships in Conflict: How violent conflict impacts local civil society and how international partners respond

This report has been published by Oxfam and International Alert on October 30 2017. It summarizes the findings of new research on the impact of violent conflict on civil society organizations (CSOs) and the implications for international actors who partner with them. It finds that local CSOs working in violent conflict settings are more important than ever, as they are at the forefront in responding to the needs of the millions of civilians caught up in violent conflict around the world. Where international actors struggle to get access to contested territories and rely on national or local CSOs to reach conflict-affected communities, partnerships allow life-saving resources to reach the people who need them most. And as commitments to localization grow, international funding flows to CSOs are set to increase. Yet this study finds that international actors often fail to understand the highly politicized and insecure environments they operate in and do not do enough to support and strengthen the CSOs with whom they work.

The report has been authored by Monica Stephen with case studies by Elizabeth Drew (Myanmar), Christina Ellis (DRC) and Rabia Nusrat (Afghanistan).