Journal Special Issue
Civil War in Developing Countries

Previous UNU-WIDER research has shown that the risk of internal conflict is high in low-income societies rich in natural resources and characterised by ethnic fragmentation. Yet for each country in conflict there are many others with similar characteristics that are at peace. Understanding why some countries avoid conflict while others fail is critical. Key causes of conflict are inequality (along ethnic, religious, social, and regional dimensions). Therefore, policies that exclude some groups from the fruits of growth and public spending (both social and economic provisions as well as public employment) may cause conflict. The project will focus in particular on the impact of different patterns of public expenditure (by region, sector, groups of beneficiaries, etc.), the distribution of government jobs and the overall benefits of government operations in social stability and integration.