The Asia Foundation

February 2013

Over the past decade, community-­based development (CBD) programs have become among the most common and widely-­accepted methods for providing assistance to conflict-­affected regions. These trends partly...

February 2013

Over the past decade, community-­based development (CBD) programs have become among the most common and widely-­accepted methods for providing assistance to conflict-­affected regions. These trends partly reflect an increased sensitivity to conflict dynamics and a commitment to extend the benefits of development to conflict-­affected communities in order to help them rebuild infrastructure and improve livelihoods. In the Philippines, the government has adopted CBD as a core component of its strategy to address internal armed conflict, and nearly all of the major international development partners are implementing some form of CBD programming to support conflict-­affected communities. Community-­based development refers to a broad spectrum of development program approaches that channel the benefits of aid directly to the community level and often (though not all cases) prioritize participation and ownership by community members in program implementation. This study was undertaken to provide some clarity and guidance on CBD in conflict-­affected areas.