In order to determine the preceding elements of the conflict dynamic, the Assessment Team should follow a series of analytical steps. First, the team should evaluate and outline key contextual issues of the conflict environment. Context does not cause conflict but describes often long-standing conditions resistant to change. Context may create pre-conditions for conflict by reinforcing fault lines between communities or contribute to pressures making violence appear as a more attractive means for advancing one’s interests. Context can shape perceptions of identity groups and be used by key actors to manipulate and mobilize constituencies. Context includes, for example: environmental conditions, poverty, recent history of conflict, youth bulge, or conflict-ridden region.
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