The Role and Place of Health in Preventing Violence,

1. The Role and Place of Health in Preventing Violence, Post-Conflict Recovery, and Building the Peace Australia-Canada Health and Conflict Research Project Funded by AusAID

2. “ Tale of two ministers”Project background • preoccupation with ‘human security’ • Australia and Canada working to strengthen response to threats through multilateral and bilateral relationships • Concern to improve impact and contribution to peace-building

3. Project goal To enhance development policy and practice in relation to health sector contributions as avenues for conflict prevention, peace-building and reconstruction while contributing to the growing body of knowledge in the field.

4. Australia – Canada Consortium University of New South Wales multi-disciplinary team: • School of Public Health and Community Medicine • School of Sociology and Anthropology • School of Psychiatry • Centre for Culture and Health Canadian team: • McMaster University’s Peace through Health program

5. In-country coordinators • Bougainville • Mr Melchior Dare, HIV Response Coordinator, Bougainville Provincial AIDS Committee • East Timor • Dr Joao Soares Martins, Dean, Faculty of Public Health, University da Paz • Dr. Nelson Martins, PhD candidate, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin • Solomon Islands • Dr. George Malefoasi, Under Secretary for Health Care, Ministry of Health, Honiara • Sri Lanka • Dr Palitha Abeykoon, WHO Consultant, Colombo

7. Issues I Health and Peace-building : Securing the Future Sets the scene for contemplating the relationship between health in conflict prevention, humanitarian crises and post-conflict development, specifically focusing on the long-term health and social impacts of violence. http://healthandconflict.sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/

8. Health and Peace-building Conflict-Health Assessment • Conflict vulnerability assessment • Health assessment • Combined health and conflict assessment Conflict Vulnerability Assessment + Health Assessment

9. Health and Peace-building • overarching framework for health and peace-building • themes that can take the human security framework forward • 3 pillars upon which conflict prevention and peace building stand for health interventionstrategies Human Security • Conflict Sensitivity • Cultural Competence Equity & HumanRights Social Cohesion Health Conditions

11. Health and Peace-building Filter (HPBF)Our vision • simple practical tool • multiple scope and focus • Core concepts useable at all levels : • planning • monitoring/ assessment • evaluation • By multiple actors • developing, • implementing • financing

12. Ideal outcome : simple practical tool however, need to “chart the conceptual boundaries” (K Bush, 2005) • Survey existing theories, tools, previous research (phase I) • Conversations, experiences, trial different versions (phase II)

13. Challenges How to balance • Donor requirements & needs • Research requirements • Local needs • Context specificity / consistency • Need to set boundaries in initial development

14. Where are we today : HPB filter • Support to develop & trial in 3 Asia-Pacific countries • Concept exploration • Questionnaire • Workshops • Focus groups • Will develop (for AusAID) : • Filter • Guidelines for use • Case studies

15. Pre-workshop HPBF

16. Workshop Objectives Using participants’ experience through case studies, we sought advice, re : • Filter design : concepts, indicators, etc • Filter focus and scope • Development process • Any other counsel from experience

18. Workshop highlights • Could the filter be counter productive? • Is it yet just another set of guidelines? • rather than focused on main purpose of peace building • can it be sensitive to the nuances of different projects? • does it look too much like a checklist - not every project needs to do or cover everything

19. Reflections on format • not a stand alone document : needs operational guidelines • Variable formats needed according to users • See the tool as a start for an exploration/dialogue • Include a glossary

20. Reflections on context • Framing the questions is crucial! Find out what is acceptable language, eg. trust, cooperation rather than peace, collaboration • ensure cultural sensitivity and conflict sensitivity run all the way through, in addition to specific categories • insure conflict sensitivity assessment has been done

21. How to • Ensure flexibility; be able to seize opportunities • Yet maintain rigor and consistency in use • Integrate creativity as a vital and effective part of any peace-building endeavor, including the filter

22. Further reflections Workshop mixed reflections on filter and on health and peace building in general • local knowledge needs to be taken seriously without romanticizing it • benefits and resources need to be shared • need to avoid creating new vested interests, thus potentially exacerbating potential toward conflict • sustainability

23. Significant challengesremain • Very short timeframe : directly contradicts expert advice • How to “practice what we preach”

24. Long and winding road ….

25. Your turn !

26. Share with us your creativity • How to render the HPBF more creative in form and thus perhaps more effective? • The consistency / flexibility paradox : can we do both ? • If the HPBF is designed for use by donors/program managers, is it possible for it to also stimulate community participation or be used a range of players

27. Merci a tous