Breaking the cycle of violence: doing development in situations of conflict

During the 1980s, armed conflict devastated an increasing number of the world's poorest countries. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in relief and development were hard-pressed to determine their most effective response to situations where normal development became meaningless, and yet short-term relief programmes failed to deal with ‘permanent emergencies?s. This article describes the nature of these conflicts, their impact on the poor, and the evolution of NGO programmes in response. It explains why some NGOs have attempted to do development in the face of on-going violence, sometimes employing risky strategies and desperate measures. It argues the need for NGOs to play a part in building a civil society which can help to break the cycle of violence.     

Toward a negotiated order

Book reviews in this article:
Barbara Gray . Collaborating: Finding Common Ground for Multiparty Problems.
Louise Nieuwmeijer . Negotiation: Methodology and Training.
Linda R. Singer . Settling Disputes: Conflict Resolution in Business, Families, and the Legal System.     

Prisoners as Customers or Clients?

Is the market for prisons or prisoners? The question remains unresolved by the debate between Sue Vardon, former Director-General, Department of Correctional Services, South Australia, and Patrick Weller, former Chairman, Corrective Services Commission, Queensland, in the March issue of this journal. Both asked whether prisoners are customers or clients of corrective service agencies. The distinction between clients as customers and clients as consumers in service delivery has important implications for the performance management of prisons, yet was ignored in the Vardon/Weller interchange. This distinction has implications for prisons and public services generally.