Case Studies
Case studies that demonstrate the links between trade in natural resources and violent conflict in the developing world.
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Oil and Violence in Sudan (PDF - 371 kb) » Jason Switzer, 2002 In this case study for the African Centre for Technology Studies, the links among oil revenues, environmental impacts and social instability in Sudan are clarified, and recommendations for forging a lasting peace through attention to the environmental basis for livelihoods are advanced.
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Diamonds, Timber and War in West Africa (PDF - 175 kb) » Ian Smillie, 2002 Arguing that timber and diamonds fuelled the collapse of Liberia and Sierra Leone, this paper argues that economics often lie at the heart of conflict, and that the civil society and UN efforts to control trade in these commodities are instrumental to peace in West Africa and elsewhere. The paper concludes by mapping out recommendations for the aid community in supporting efforts to rein in and monitor trade in "conflict commodities."
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Oiling the Conflict: Petro-dollars and Caviar in the Caspian (PDF - 108 kb) » Jason Switzer, 2002 In this article, the author argues that a reconciliation of the seemingly incompatible and conflicting interests of the petroleum industry and the sturgeon fishery in the Caspian Sea would increase environmental security. Ensuring the long-term viability of the sturgeon fishery is in the interest of the oil companies, as doing so would decrease social tension and promote international cooperation over resource conservation, thereby contributing to the resolution of broader conflicts between the states.
Key Publication
Trade, Aid and Security: An agenda for peace and development
» Oli Brown, Mark Halle, Sonia Peña Moreno, Sebastian Winkler, Earthscan, 2006.Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur. All resonate loudly on the international stage, exposing and illustrating the intractable links among global security, war and conflict, the control over natural resources—be they oil, water, timber or "conflict diamonds"—and the deployment of aid money and the manipulation of international trade policies. This volume, written by leading authorities from across the globe, introduces the linkages among trade, aid and security, and exposes how inappropriate or misused trade and aid policies can and do undermine security and contribute to violence and the disintegration of nation states. On a practical level, they demonstrate how six key areas of trade and aid policy can be used to help forge stability and security, reduce the likelihood of armed conflict and assist economic and political recovery in our war-torn world. Foreword by Lloyd Axworthy. More...
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