Not only is this an intellectually difficult agenda, but there are institutional constraints and rules within AID holding it back. Several development challenges stand out. Security is a critical sector in which donors can make a difference. Without stopping the flow of guns and other weapons, without the creation of an effective judicial system, without job creation for demobilized soldiers, the proper environment for preventing conflict will not exist. The development community needs to come up with a list for vulnerable societies, a list for directing the right kind of aid.
Early warning remains a major program.
International assistance forces do not have the capacity to respond well when the situation calls for it. As breakdowns in Latin America are currently showing, transitional societies can be classified as long-term vulnerable societies. Critical military-civilian issues remain, as does an unsustainable income gap. Access to justice is still not a right, but a privilege. There has been an explosion of activity in the conflict prevention sphere among donors and international assistance organizations.