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Suggested Citation:"7 Final Observations." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Adapting Agricultural Extension to Peacebuilding: Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and United States Institute of Peace: Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13428.
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7


Final Observations

Development, agricultural or otherwise, is inherently about long-term political and economic improvement, and peacebuilding is about shorter-term stabilization. The two have strong commonalities. For example, building the community structures that enable peace, such as strong producer associations and schools and civic organizations, also supportS development. In that sense, extension can support both development and peacebuilding by simultaneously building capacity and providing a means of managing conflict.

In their concluding remarks, the workshop co-chairs emphasized two major issues associated with efforts to combine agricultural and peacebuilding activities in an extension system: collaboration and sustainability. The workshop brought together people from quite different worlds, they noted, such as technology development, agriculture extension, and peacebuilding. The interests and concerns of these groups overlap, but they also have differing experiences and expertise. Integrating these separate worlds and moving toward next steps will require continuing the conversations started at the workshop.

In addition, extension efforts, whether they target agriculture or peacebuilding, serve both immediate needs and long-term goals. Many tasks are beyond the capacity of extension personnel, but by making small, cumulative changes over extended periods, agents can have a dramatic and positive effect

Suggested Citation:"7 Final Observations." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Adapting Agricultural Extension to Peacebuilding: Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and United States Institute of Peace: Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13428.
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on both agricultural productivity and factors that enable conflict management and peacebuilding. Because of their capacity to build social capital in rural communities, extension agents have real potential to improve the economic well-being and security of farmers.

Suggested Citation:"7 Final Observations." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Adapting Agricultural Extension to Peacebuilding: Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and United States Institute of Peace: Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13428.
×
Page 43
Suggested Citation:"7 Final Observations." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Adapting Agricultural Extension to Peacebuilding: Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and United States Institute of Peace: Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13428.
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Page 44
Next: Appendix A: Agenda »
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Societies have sought to improve the outputs of their agricultural producers for thousands of years. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, efforts to convey agricultural knowledge to farmers became known as extension services, a term adopted from programs at Oxford and Cambridge designed to extend the knowledge generated at universities to surrounding communities. Traditionally, extension services have emphasized a top-down model of technology transfer that encourages and teaches producers to use crop and livestock varieties and agricultural practices that will increase food production. More recently, extension services have moved toward a facilitation model, in which extension agents work with producers to identify their needs and the best sources of expertise to help meet those needs.

On May 1, 2012, the Roundtable on Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding held a workshop in Washington, DC, to explore whether and how extension activities could serve peacebuilding purposes. The Roundtable is a partnership between the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). It consists of senior executives and experts from leading governmental organizations, universities, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations, was established in 2011 to make a measurable and positive impact on conflict management, peacebuilding, and security capabilities. Its principal goals are:

  1. To accelerate the application of science and technology to the process of peacebuilding and stabilization;
  2. To promote systematic, high-level communication between peacebuilding and technical organizations on the problems faced and the technical capabilities required for successful peacebuilding; and
  3. To collaborate in applying new science and technology to the most pressing challenges for local and international peacebuilders working in conflict zones.
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