Policy Papers - June 14, 2007
Poverty and Conflict: The Inequality Link
This publication is part of the CWC Working Paper Series [read more about this publication series]
Ravi Kanbu
The focus of this paper is on conflicts within states.
These range from the full scale armed conflict of a civil war (between two “states within states”), through relatively isolated and contained low intensity insurrection against the state, to regular bouts of communal violence in a “well functioning” state.
This paper asks how poverty and inequality causally interact with these phenomena. The causality from conflict to poverty is not much in doubt and stands to reason—conflict destroys or impairs incentives for productive economic investment and innovation at all levels. However, the precise nature of causality in the other direction, from poverty and inequality to conflict, is more ambiguous and subject to greater debate. It is this causal chain that is the focus of this working paper; but in order to do this we in turn need a more nuanced characterization and discussion of inequality and poverty concepts and trends.
Contact Us
Adam Lupel | Publications
E-mail
Recent Events
March 11, 2010
Gabon’s Bongo: “We Must Wake Up and Embrace Prevention”
President Ali Bongo Ondimba marked Gabon’s presidency of the UN Security Council this month by addressing an overflow audience of diplomats at the International Peace Institute on March 8th.
![]()
March 10, 2010
Secretary-General Ban, Gabon President Bongo at IPI Dinner
On March 8th, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined fourteen Security Council ambassadors for a dinner at the International Peace Institute to honor Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
![]()
March 08, 2010
US Official: "No Trade-Off Between Our Security and Our Values"
“International Counterterrorism Policy in the Obama Administration: Developing a Strategy for the Future” was the subject of a well-attended address at IPI on Monday, March 1st by Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State.
![]()
Latest News
March 17, 2010
Podcast: Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba
March 08, 2010
Podcast: Daniel Benjamin on Counterterrorism
February 16, 2010
Podcast: Nasser Al-Kidwa Says 2-State Solution Still Valid









