the nature, causes and development consequences of modern violence and highlight lessons learned from efforts to prevent or recover from violence. Between two thirds and three quarters of the children without access to school, infants dying and mothers dying in childbirth in the developing world live in countries at risk or, affected by or recently recovering from violence. There are strong links between local conflicts, national conflict, organized crime and trafficking and gang activity, and several societies that have successfully addressed one form of violence have later seen other forms threaten their development progress. The key challenge is to build national institutional capacities, taking account of the balance between political realities and progress on social justice, and the need for carefully sequenced and paced reforms. Successful efforts to prevent violence have in general combined political, security and developmental efforts in support of objectives of citizen security, economic hope and inclusive and responsive governance. The ultimate goal of the WDR is to promote new ways of preventing or addressing violent conflict. The WDR will not attempt to come up with a universal set of prescriptions. By drawing on insight and experiences from a host of past and present situations, it will identify promising national and regional initiatives as well as directions for change in international responses, and discuss how lessons can be applied in situations of vulnerability to violent conflict.

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