Once synonymous with food security, resilience has undergone a quiet revolution over the last decade, shifting from a sector silo to an emerging paradigm of engagement for donors and multilateral institutions. This paper traces the evolution and importance of this emerging resilience paradigm and the simultaneous rise of people-centered approaches to justice (PCJ). It argues that PCJ is a vital but missing element of the new resilience paradigm and key to its success. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for a PCJ approach to resilience and offers a few illustrative examples of how the framework might be applied to fragile contexts and beyond. The examples used are not prescriptive, but rather intend to offer grounding to what is otherwise a largely conceptual framework. The application of the framework will require additional resources, on-the-ground research, and comprehensive analysis. Ultimately, the paper argues that humanitarians, peacebuilders, resilience experts, and justice actors must work together to tip the scales of justice in favor of people’s resilience in fragile contexts.
This paper highlights:
- The emerging “fragility to resilience” paradigm and evidence on the importance of resilience to peace and development success.
- The gap in this emerging paradigm around justice and makes the case for the indispensable role of PCJ for resilience in fragile and conflict-affected settings—and beyond.
- A conceptual framework for a PCJ approach to resilience and offers a few illustrative examples of how the framework might be applied to different contexts.