PRESS RELEASE

At the Labour party conference Tony Blair reiterated Britain’s unwavering commitment to the campaign against Osama bin Laden and his Taliban hosts. Yet as the world awaits the next salvo in the US led ‘War’ against terrorism, it is important to remember that whatever the outcome of the military campaign, the root causes of terrorism will remain undisturbed. What is needed is a long-term ‘multi-track’ approach to resolving the causes of inequity, injustice, poverty, despair and violence that are so often the breeding grounds for extremism. Peacemaking in Northern Ireland has leapt forward in the wake of the September 11 attacks: but what about the mutual tensions that continue within communities? What will happen to the Afghanistan government when the bombing ends?
While the UK government should lead the way in these efforts, it should also immediately provide greater funding for groups around the world working non-violently to resolve violent conflict.

In places throughout the world ordinary people, non-governmental organisations, religious groups and many others have shown themselves to be remarkably effective in addressing violence or the threat of violence without the use of force. These people, working at the ‘front line’ of conflict need to be fully supported and their work needs to be multiplied so that violence, or the threat of it, is suffocated. For example:

· In northern Ghana a consortium of NGO’s, including Oxfam and ActionAid, brought together groups of influential leaders from opposing sides in a conflict that had only months before wrought immense destruction to the region. Over time, the fears and mistrust that had been the cause of the violence began to dissipate, finally leading to a landmark peace agreement.

· Following the destruction of the Babri Masjid Mosque in Ayodhya, India, rioting swept across India. In one city, Lucknow, violence was averted by the concerted efforts of a local school which organised daily meetings of religious leaders as well as regular peace marches throughout the city. Such lessons could be applied to places such as Nigeria or Indonesia, where religious fanaticism has led to the deaths of thousands.

These and other stories – including successful peacemaking in Northern Ireland, and Swedish work to bring peace to Israel and Palestine – are profiled in a new report by the Oxford Research Group's Dylan Matthews. entitled War Prevention Works: 50 Stories of people resolving conflict. Each story is a powerful example of the vitally important work that continues away from the glare of the world’s media, by ordinary people, in their efforts to end violence and build sustainable peace.

For more information, please contact the
Oxford Research Group, Tel 020 7681 0539. Email:  org@oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk

www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk