Whenever refugees or forcibly displaced persons of different national or ethnic groups live together in a camp, conflict is likely to arise. The way forward is to help them live in harmony but this requires the willingness of both conflicting parties to approach neutral mediators who can bridge the gap between the parties. The conflicting parties need to understand that maintaining a rigid position leads to persistent fighting which hinders the community to move forward. They also need to understand that reconciliation contributes to the welfare of the whole community. Communities need to know about the benefit of peace and the negative impact of conflict.Jesuit Refugee Service has made it one of its core concerns to promote peace and reconciliation. Peace-building often, but not exclusively, takes place in the context of return, such as in Southern Sudan, with programmes aimed at developing the community at all levels and helping them understand their rights and duties.
