What Oxfam is Doing
- Promoting Economic Opportunity
- Increasing Political Participation
- Preventing Conflict
PREVENTING CONFLICT
Oxfam America assists West African farmers and other small-scale business people make a decent living, voice their concerns to government, and build peace in conflict areas.
The unfortunate reality of conflict in West Africa—both widespread war and the more common and insidious low-intensity violence—is responsible for holding back the work of Oxfam America and our partners. Any of our efforts to overcome poverty will fail if we do not find the root causes of conflict and develop ways to overcome it.
Oxfam America helps organizations that do just that: develop ways to overcome small-scale strife, resolve conflicts, and train people to manage disputes before they become violent. Oxfam funds the research and documentation of effective traditional conflict management methods, the role of women in conflict prevention and survival, and peace-building exchanges between community organizations. Efforts are also being made to reduce the presence of small arms throughout the region
Case in point: curbing the illegal arms trade
Oxfam America's work to ban the trade in illegal small arms led the government of Senegal to invite Oxfam to be part of a National Commission on Illegal Arms. Oxfam represents the civil society coalition of organizations in Senegal that has been calling on the government to curb the illegal arms trade.