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After the downing of the helicopter, the Brazilian Across the Movement, there’s a growing call to
newspaper O Globo referred to the situation as A do more: to both assist victims caught in the crossfire
Guerra do Rio, or Rio’s war. According to The Guardian of urban conflict and better prevent urban violence
in the UK, Oderlei Santos, spokesman for Rio’s by getting at the root causes.
military police, responded by saying: “Our operations At the 30th International Conference of the Red
will only cease when these criminals are captured, Cross and Red Crescent in 2007, urban violence
arrested or killed in combat.” became a major focus of debate. The discussion led
to the IFRC developing a draft strategy entitled IFRC
The spiral of violence Global Strategy on Violence Prevention, Mitigation and
Around the world, cities are experiencing an Response 2010–2020.
alarming increase in violence and its resulting misery. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
A combination of factors comes into play. Urban meanwhile, are responding with projects and
centres are undergoing unprecedented growth due programmes that range from teaching first aid to
to natural population increase and migration from conflict resolution, building up self-esteem, training
the countryside. According to numerous reports, in new skills and other strategies to prevent or
more than half of the world’s population lives in reduce urban violence in a lasting way (see Goals for L Urban violence takes a heavy toll
urban areas and nearly all the population growth of peace, pages 24–25). on families and communities. Flowers
in memory of a man killed by gang
the next two decades will take place in the cities of The issue is more delicate for the ICRC, which has
members are seen tied to a railing in
developing countries. a mission to act in conflicts and other situations of Glasgow, Scotland.
One billion people already live in slums. With violence. While it has a mandate, given by states, Photo: REUTERS/David Moir, courtesy
www.alertnet.org
limited employment available, many resort to within the sphere of international humanitarian law
informal, even criminal, ways to survive. A booming (IHL) to act in armed conflicts, the organization also
international drug trade pays for ever more has a right to get involved in what is termed “other
sophisticated weapons, from semi-automatic assault situations of violence.” This gives it the opportunity

Urban violence
L In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro,
people have grown accustomed to the rifles to rocket-propelled grenades. to respond when and where its international profile,
sight of guns. Here, members of the State services no longer reach many poor experience, independence and neutrality can bring
Special Operations Police Battalion go neighbourhoods, due to security risks. Children with added value to people in need. “We built up
street-by-street in the favela of Pavão, little or no access to schooling are recruited into
as part of a ‘pacification’ exercise aimed
acceptance little by
gangs. High population density, class disparity, Gaining respect
at driving out and keeping out drug little, so that now

War by any other name


traffickers. heterogeneous communities, xenophobia, marginal- Six years ago, when Michel Minnig arrived as head of
Photo: Nadia Shira Cohen/ICRC ization, police brutality and overflowing prisons all the ICRC’s regional delegation in Buenos Aires, he we can... be
contribute to the spiral of violence. At times, the rates was struck by the violence in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas.
of homicide are greater than the death tolls from He noted how similar it was in scale and dynamics to respected, rather
armed conflicts. cases of armed conflict that the ICRC regularly than being a target
As the world grows increasingly urban, violence in many “We’ve gone past the stage of asking if it is a real encounters: organized armed groups controlling
for the gangs, police
phenomenon or not — it’s right in front of us,” says well-defined territories, regular open hostilities with
cities is reaching epidemic proportions. Chronic conflict Pierre Gentile, head of protection of the civilian military-grade weapons and grave humanitarian or army.”
population unit in the ICRC’s operations department. consequences for victims. Minnig was one of the
makes daily life in some places almost like living in a war “The question is simply to what extent we should get early proponents of ICRC action “to restore a certain
Michel Minnig,
former ICRC regional delegate
involved.” normalcy” to the lives of Rio’s inhabitants. for Latin America
zone. With rapid urbanization, the context for violence is
changing, creating new challenges for those giving aid and
working to prevent conflict.
N THE MORRO DOS MACACOS slum of northern streets echo with the crack of automatic weapon fire,
Rio de Janeiro, two rival drug gangs are locked in smoke pours out of burning city buses and terrified
an intense gun battle. Heavily armed police residents flee for their homes.
teams — equipped with automatic weapons and The Brazilian city is not at war, but there are
armoured vehicles — respond in force, moving places where it looks that way. Armed gangs control
through busy streets and labyrinthine alleyways with territories in many of Rio’s favelas or slums. Regular J ‘Vesguinho’ (centre) and his gang
guns drawn. shoot-outs occur between gang members, police and control drug trafficking in Parque Royal,
a slum in Ilha do Governador, Rio de
Suddenly, bullets tear into a police helicopter militias. Nearly 5,000 people were murdered in 2008.
Janeiro. This gang is part of Terceiro
hovering overhead. Shot in the leg, the pilot loses And in some of the most violent neighbourhoods, Comando, a major gang faction of Rio
control. The chopper crashes to the ground and the human suffering is comparable to that of an de Janeiro.
bursts into flames, killing two officers. Nearby, the armed conflict. Photo: João Pina/Kameraphoto

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And so in December 2008, the organization try to alleviate humanitarian consequences and to There is general agreement that potential “This morning we Gangs had taken control of shanty towns such as
launched a pilot project in the city’s worst slums. For prevent them from occurring or reoccurring.” interventions must be decided case by case, and Cité Soleil and Martissant, terrorizing the populace
more than a year, the ICRC, the Brazilian Red Cross The approach, however, is adapted to the clear objectives defined, before the ICRC takes part took five people to through kidnapping, rape and torture. The situation
and other local associations have been working particular situation. In Rio de Janeiro, the ICRC, along in any such operation. There must be a clear the hospital, four of was so dire that the ICRC responded with a plan to
together in these favelas of the favelas — the most with Brazilian Red Cross volunteers from the favelas, humanitarian need resulting from organized armed improve the availability of clean water in the slums and
neglected, difficult and dangerous part of each respond to basic humanitarian needs — vaccination, violence and that violence must be of a recurrent, not them with gunshot to collaborate with the National Society on first aid and
favela. prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, TB and sporadic, nature. There are important questions to be wounds. People are evacuation of casualties.
“We started by conducting first-aid training for first-aid training — all in neighbourhoods generally considered as well. What are the dynamics of the Olivier Bangerter, an ICRC adviser specializing in
residents of these communities so everybody could unreached by basic healthcare services. violence? Is there control by organized groups over
really supportive armed groups, calls the operation a textbook example
L Family members mourn a military see the work we were doing,” says Minnig. “In this “We took dengue fever as an issue that we could an area or population? Are there leaders with whom because when there of how to deal with gangs. He says that entering into
police officer executed while doing way, we built up acceptance little by little, so that address as a vector programme to get into the favela the ICRC can engage in dialogue? Do we have a discussions with gang leaders is not difficult, but the
surveillance on a local bar. On average, now we can penetrate further, touch upon more by forming and training people from the comm- presence on the ground there already?
was no Red Cross, conversations will not be the same as with opposition
three police officers in Rio are killed serious problems and be respected, rather than unity,” said Felipe Donoso, ICRC head of delegation “We are establishing criteria for interventions,” many people who groups fighting armed conflicts.
every week.
being a target for the gangs, police or army.” in Rio de Janeiro. says Pierre Gentile. “In addition to the idea that the “You don’t speak about IHL,” he says. “You can
Photo: Nadia Shira Cohen/ICRC could have been
Since 1998, the ICRC has been working with The programmes helped the ICRC gain acceptance, violence must have a certain level of organization, the discuss a number of things that are non-threatening
Brazil’s police and armed forces, training them to build community networks and begin helping humanitarian consequences must also be serious. saved, died.” but make a difference, like respect of the Red Cross and
integrate international human rights standards and vulnerable people find alternatives to violence. “Some Then there are distinctions to make according to the Jude Celoge, the medical mission. You can discuss projects on the
humanitarian principles into their work. of the people in the favelas are extremely vulnerable,” country — is there already an efficient mechanism for First-aid coordinator, Haitian group’s turf and how they should treat the workers.”
But reaching an understanding on human rights Donoso says. “So the question is how can they be a country’s authorities to monitor and control the National Red Cross Society The ICRC and Haitian gang leaders managed to
with gangs in Rio presents a whole new challenge for integrated into systems where they can receive situation? Would we have a real added value? The agree on a number of rules: don’t harm or threaten Red
humanitarian workers. The gangs have no obvious assistance and they will have a chance not to become ICRC shouldn’t try to be everywhere at once, but only Cross personnel, give safe passage to Red Cross cars
political objective, no evident interest in over- a victim — or an actor — of armed violence?” where we can be useful.” and people, and don’t touch the wounded, even if they
throwing the state. Their motives are mainly to make Not everybody at the ICRC is convinced of the The legal question is a complicated one, too. Can come from a rival gang. As Bangerter explains, gangs
money by selling drugs and to control territory so necessity to deal with urban violence outside of regular armed confrontations between police or had something to gain from the relationship, too. Their
they can freely pursue their goals. However, should armed conflict. Jacques de Maio, head of operations armed forces and gangs be considered non- families lived in the same neighbourhoods. They
this make a difference in whether or not the ICRC for South Asia, wonders if this type of action could international armed conflict and should international benefited from access to clean water and medical
gets involved? detract from the organization’s main mission. humanitarian law be applied? The general consensus evacuation systems.
Analysis of the motives of violence is not the basis “In a country at peace, where international is in principle “no” — IHL falls short and might even “By and large, there were no serious incidents,” he
that justifies the intervention of the institution, it is humanitarian law is not applicable, where there isn’t a be detrimental. It would legitimize the killing of rivals says. “There were glitches, but over three years, with
rather the humanitarian needs provoked by them, situation of armed violence that offers conditions for as ‘combatants’, for example, and would also allow for people who were considered absolutely lawless, it was
says Angela Gussing, ICRC deputy director of the ICRC to provide its services in a classic way, the a certain amount of collateral damage close to the quite a good result.”
operations in charge of global affairs and policy. question is: on what basis, by what criteria and in what fighting — a dangerous prospect in the confines of Infrastructure was central to the Haitian operation.
K ICRC and Brazilian Red Cross “Action by the Red Cross has never been linked manner should the ICRC engage its resources and its an urban environment. Owing to the insecurity in Cité Soleil, the national water
programmes in the favelas connect
to motivation, in terms of conflict,” she says. “We have institutional credibility?” he asks. “It could potentially But it’s not always clear where to draw the line. utility, CAMEP, could not operate or maintain the
vulnerable populations to community
never said we intervene because this is a noble create a certain incoherence with what we do globally Some situations are so acute they require the system, and safe water was practically non-existent.
services that volunteers hope will steer
children from a path towards violence. motive and another one is not. It’s violence, it’s and use resources that could be better employed in involvement of army units or police forces to combat Over a period of nearly three years, the ICRC installed a
Photo: Patricia Santos/ICRC organized, it causes humanitarian consequences; we line with our core mandate elsewhere in the world.” organized, armed groups — all sides with highly new pumping network and, as confidence grew,
sophisticated weapons. Mexico’s “war on cartels” in CAMEP was able to progressively take back ownership
towns along the US border is a case in point. What is of the system. Robert Mardini, head of water and
the best legal framework for protecting the affected sanitation in the ICRC operations department, says
population in this case? Human rights law? Inter- turning the water back on was an important first step.
national humanitarian law? “It helped us to be accepted in Cité Soleil and it was
For people affected by this kind of armed urban conducive to more ICRC action like protecting civilians.”
violence, such legal distinctions make little difference. Still, it’s tricky work. For example, first-aid workers
The effects are usually the same. Friends and family sometimes face pressure from gangs to take their
are killed, injured or go missing. People are displaced members to the hospital first. But Jude Celoge,
and basic services are interrupted. coordinator of a Haitian Red Cross first-aid post that
These basic and immediate humanitarian needs serves Cité Soleil, says most people he meets now
are what compel response. accept that the Red Cross is neutral and will help
people on all sides.
L A man smokes in his dormitory at a
Water for blood compulsory drug rehabilitation clinic in “This morning we took five people to the hospital,
Rio de Janeiro is not the only place where the ICRC Hefei, in eastern China's Anhui province. four of them with gunshot wounds,” he told an ICRC
has reacted to urban violence short of war. Between Armed gangs are bringing drugs into video crew in August 2009. “People are really sup-
2004 and 2007, after the ouster of former president China in growing numbers, with farmers portive because when there was no Red Cross, many
moving to cities for work becoming a
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the ICRC and the Haitian people who could have been saved, died.” I
new target.
National Red Cross Society came to the aid of victims Photo: REUTERS/Jianan Yu, courtesy
of violence in Port-au-Prince. www.alertnet.org By Amy Serafin, freelance writer based in Paris

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J The Red Cross Society of Panama gets


at violence by engaging teens in art
projects, environmental causes, nature
hikes, research projects and music,
among other things. In Santa Ana,
Panama, a teen group performs as part
of an event celebrating the rights of
children.
Photo: The Red Cross Society of Panama

Urban violence
Goals for peace
Around the world, National Societies take on urban violence by
aiming at the root causes. Violence prevention is hard work.
But, occasionally, it can also be a matter of fun and games
GROUP OF CHILDREN are kicking a ball to value what young members have to offer.” “Nobody listens to “Gang violence is a visible, public culmination of IFRC director of principles and values, created a L Young volunteers gather outside
around a dusty field in a suburb of Johan- In 2006, the Spanish Red Cross and National violence that begins in the private sphere and shapes programme called Youth as Agents of Behavioural Bamako, Mali in December 2008 for a
nesburg, South Africa. To the casual observer, it Societies in Central America and the Caribbean , young people, and children’s lives,” wrote Judi Fairholm, director of the Change, which empowers young people to take the training camp on how to promote
respect, non-discrimination and peace.
looks like a typical game of football. In fact, the finalized a strategy to prevent urban violence in eight they don’t feel like RespectED programme, in an article she co-authored lead in changing mindsets and behaviour, and in
The event was supported by the Mali
vigorous match is part of a South African Red Cross countries in the region. The Spanish Red Cross has been on the subject. “In order to understand public building a culture of equality, non-violence and Red Cross and the IFRC.
Society strategy to end discrimination by bringing active in the area since Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998. part of the manifestations of violence, the violence that occurs social inclusion. Peer education is key. Photo: IFRC
young people of different backgrounds together to The Violence Prevention Regional Strategy targets neighbourhood. in private spaces like child abuse in homes and So far, a network of youth leaders from over 40
play. The programme, called Soccer Against Crime, youth leaders who are at risk of joining gangs, or maras, bullying in schools must be examined and recog- National Societies have learned unconventional ways
sets out to prevent the kind of violence against and involves them in a variety of social projects that
Gangs give them a nized as root causes that fuel a trajectory towards to teach behavioural skills such as empathy, active
foreigners that devastated Gauteng province in 2008. differ from country to country. sense of belonging.” gangs and life on the street.” listening, critical thinking, non-judgement, medi-
Dozens of National Societies are creating In Guatemala, the focus is on the arts, such as Juan José Martinez Solis, The Norwegian Red Cross has run a street mediation ation and peaceful settlement of tensions.
initiatives like this one, focused on children and theatre, hip-hop and singing. In Nicaragua, young Violence prevention coordinator programme for young people in Norway since 2006. “Equipping youth with behavioural skills is
young people. By building up their self-esteem, people are learning to make small objects like necklaces for the Spanish Red Cross Anne Cecilie Fossum, the National Society’s senior adviser essential,” Beeckman says, “if we really want to
teaching new skills and demonstrating peaceful and bracelets by hand, and sell them in their of conflict management, talks about a 19-year-old embody and be a living example of our Movement’s
mediation of conflict, these strategies aim to prevent communities for pocket money. In Panama and the immigrant girl who grew up in a difficult environment. seven fundamental principles. Empathy is a case in
or reduce urban violence in a lasting way. The youth Dominican Republic, the focus is on the environment, “She was an aggressive gang leader in Oslo and point for humanity, dropping bias and non-judge-
programmes take various forms, from rehabilitating encouraging youth to help clean up national parks and good at manipulating her helpers. Some people from ment for impartiality and neutrality.
former child soldiers in Sierra Leone to giving kids in coastlines. the Red Cross told her, ‘You have abilities, and we can “What also appeals to youth is that we don’t start the
Central America an alternative to joining gangs. help you turn them into something positive’.” programme with an intellectual analysis. We get the
“We found that many young people don’t partici- Private violence Today she is a role model, teaching conflict young people to participate in role-playing games or
pate in the life of their community,” says Juan José The Canadian Red Cross has had a programme called management to her peers nationwide. visualization exercises. They feel emotions related to a
Martinez Solis, violence prevention coordinator for the RespectED in place since 1984 to prevent violence topic, in light of their personal experiences. Then, through
Spanish Red Cross. “Nobody listens to them and they against children and youth. It includes a series of Agents of change debriefings with their peers, they construct themselves
don’t feel like part of the neighbourhood. Gangs give educational programmes to stop bullying, harassment, Meanwhile, the IFRC has been developing a global and their understanding.” I
them a sense of belonging. Our work is to help them dating violence and abuse, and has been expanded to strategy to reverse the culture of violence, and urban
become part of their communities, and for communities urban settings in Sri Lanka and Guyana. violence in particular. In 2008, Katrien Beeckman, By Amy Serafin, freelance writer based in Paris

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