Building Peace
Peace Is Not Everything, but There Is Nothing Without Peace
Campaign for the prevention of violence in South Africa. Source: Isabel Huber
These words, spoken by the former German chancellor Willy Brandt, have particular resonance for developing countries, since without peace, there can be no development in these nations. Wars inflict tremendous suffering, destroy infrastructure, and worsen poverty and destitution.
Domestic and inter-state conflicts in developing and transition countries have long been a major challenge facing development cooperation, particularly in so-called fragile states. An unstable and weak state is a threat to peace and progress: government institutions have insufficient political legitimacy in these countries, and state power is not enforced. Such weakened governments are severely compromised in their ability to fulfil the basic duties of a state, such as ensuring the security of the population and the provision of basic social services.
Sensitive to Potential Conflicts
KfW Entwicklungsbank supports developing countries in rectifying situations that have particular potential to cause trouble and, if possible, defusing the threat of violent conflict. When an armed conflict has come to an end the bank promotes social, economic and political reconstruction measures in order to secure a stable peace. Especially in fragile states KfW Entwicklungsbank has to be sensitve to potential conflicts in order to avoid aggravating tensions in the country or creating new tensions.
Last updated: July 2011
