The donor community should support these delicate actions for dialogue, bringing together people from conflict areas and people having fled in the Diaspora for discussing an agenda they have approved together. Therefore, early warning systems should be set up in order to detect growing tension at an early stage. These systems should also keep up with elements such as demographic and socio-economic evolution, food and agricultural condition and possible escalating forces. We should also try to keep going the dialogue between the conflicting factions and persist in underlining common values and objectives and developing confidence-building measures. By means of so-called 'stabilising points' which are composed multiethnically, various activities can be worked out aimed at restoring confidence and solidarity.
Preventive diplomacy is one aspect of conflict prevention.
It relates to measures designed to prevent the escalation of a dispute into a conflict and to contain a violent conflict where and when it breaks out. But there is more to conflict prevention than preventive diplomacy. The concept should include longer-term measures and initiatives including the promotion of good governance, capacitybuilding, support for regional and subregional security arrangements. Some areas of intervention have already been tested. UN volunteers have been active as monitors in elections in societies in transition.