Can you help shape our future priorities? Take a five minute survey now. Survey closes on 8 July.

Brief

IDS Policy Briefing 61

On a Wing and a Prayer? Challenges for Reducing Armed Violence

Published on 1 May 2014

Most deaths due to violence now occur outside traditional conflict settings. In these contexts, violence is complex and often hard to understand, linked to a variety of conditions, situations and trends which are deeply embedded and difficult to shift without considerable investment, contextual knowledge and risk.

Development is indispensible to reducing armed violence, while aid efforts are expected to be informed by rigorous evidence and qualify as good value for money. Therefore, defining and determining success in this field is urgently needed. This policy briefing explores the challenges of generating better evidence as well as how to respond to complexity, proposing where efforts should be focused.

Cite this publication

Lind, J. (2014) On a Wing and a Prayer? Challenges for Reducing Armed Violence, IDS Policy Briefing 61, Brighton: IDS

Authors

Jeremy Lind

Professorial Fellow

Publication details

published by
IDS
authors
Lind, J
journal
IDS Policy Briefing, issue 61
language
English

Share

About this publication

Programmes and centres
Addressing and mitigating violence

Related content

Working Paper

BASIC Research Global Review: Widening Social Protection Approaches and Practice to Achieve Crisis-Resilient Social Protection

BASIC Research Working Paper 65

Rachel Slater & 2 others

8 July 2026

Working Paper

Sustaining Social Protection in Conflict Settings

BASIC Research Working Paper 64

8 July 2026

Working Paper

‘Some returned trembling with fear… and some did not return’ Case Study: Sustaining Social Protection in Iraq

BASIC Research Working Paper 61

8 July 2026

Working Paper

Capacities for Sustaining Social Protection in Conflict Settings

BASIC Research Working Paper 63

8 July 2026