Lien Social, conflit et violence en Haïti

The study examines the relationship between social cohesion, trust, and violence in Haiti, focusing on the Southern region. It argues that intense urbanization and rural migration have led to the formation of slums where traditional social bonds are dissolved and trust in institutions is low, creating an environment where social conflicts are more likely to escalate into violence. While low trust is a general trait across rural and urban communities, the specific lack of 'vertical' social bonds in slums increases the risk of violent mobilization. The author recommends strengthening social cohesion through production-based cooperatives and reforming the relationship between political elites and urban masses.

• Weak social bonds and a lack of trust in both interpersonal relations and institutions (the State, NGOs, and MINUSTAH) are common characteristics across rural villages, urban residential centers, and slums.
• Slums are particularly characterized by a pronounced weakness in 'vertical' social bonds—links between individuals from different social backgrounds or neighborhoods—which increases the probability that conflicts will escalate into violence.
• The study identifies a high level of mistrust in the State, NGOs, and MINUSTAH, with the Catholic Church being the only institution that maintains significant public trust.
• Rural migration to cities is driven by the impoverishment of the countryside due to food import policies rather than urban industrialization, leading to a 'slumification' of urban spaces.
• In the Nippes region, specifically Miragoâne, port activities and the import of used goods attract diverse populations and increase the risk of social conflict and violence due to high population mobility and suspicion in commercial relations.
• Social conflicts are more frequent and more likely to turn violent in urban centers compared to rural villages, with the highest risk found in peripheral neighborhoods (slums).
• The study suggests that political violence in Haiti is often an instrumentalization of existing social violence, where 'natural leaders' in slums are recruited by political elites to mobilize masses for violent protests.
• Gender differences in social bonds are present but weak; men have slightly better access to employment and associative life, while women show higher levels of religious practice.

APA

Gilles, A. (2012). Lien Social, conflit et violence en Haïti. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f704dea0-a12a-4312-a8ec-1550e4e797b6/Gilles-Lien-social-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Gilles, Alain. Lien Social, conflit et violence en Haïti. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2012. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f704dea0-a12a-4312-a8ec-1550e4e797b6/Gilles-Lien-social-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gilles |first1=Alain |title=Lien Social, conflit et violence en Haïti |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2012 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f704dea0-a12a-4312-a8ec-1550e4e797b6/Gilles-Lien-social-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gilles2012lien, author = {Gilles, Alain}, title = {{Lien Social, conflit et violence en Haïti}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2012}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f704dea0-a12a-4312-a8ec-1550e4e797b6/Gilles-Lien-social-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }