The Social Bond, Conflict and Violence in Haiti

The report examines the relationship between social cohesion, trust, and violence in southern Haiti, focusing on the impact of rural migration and the formation of urban slums. It argues that the breakdown of traditional social bonds and a lack of trust in both interpersonal relations and institutions like the state, NGOs, and MINUSTAH create an environment where social unrest is more likely to turn violent. The study highlights that 'vertical' social bonds—those linking different social backgrounds—are particularly weak in slums, making these areas breeding grounds for political mobilization through violence. It recommends fostering social cohesion through productive cooperatives and renewing the relationship between political leadership and the urban masses.

• Weak social bonds and low trust in social relationships and formal institutions, including the state, NGOs, and the UN force (MINUSTAH), are common across most neighbourhoods, slums, urban areas, and rural villages in the surveyed regions.
• Urban slums exhibit particularly weak 'vertical' social bonds, which are the links between individuals from different social backgrounds or different neighbourhoods; these weak vertical bonds are a primary driver of the probability that social conflicts will escalate into violence.
• Trust in immediate social relationships is a more significant factor in determining whether personal conflicts turn violent than trust in formal institutions. In slums, trust in social relationships is lower than trust in formal institutions.
• The Catholic Church is the only institution that commands high levels of trust from the population, with over 80% of respondents trusting it 'a great deal' or 'a little'.
• Mistrust of the state is widespread, with over 70% of respondents trusting it only 'a little' or 'not at all', which the report suggests creates a normative vacuum that increases the risk of interpersonal violence.
• MINUSTAH is viewed with significant mistrust, with over 85% of respondents trusting it 'not at all' or 'a little', partly due to accusations of human rights violations and its perception as an armed occupation force.
• Social unrest is more frequent and more likely to turn violent in peripheral neighbourhoods (slums) compared to residential neighbourhoods or rural villages.
• In the Nippes region, specifically Miragoâne, port activities and the resulting trade in imported goods have spurred population movements that create anomic social relationships more prone to conflict and violence.
• Employment is low across the surveyed population, with fewer than 30% having a job; the most common activities are private teaching and the sale of imported goods, which are service activities dependent on foreign revenue transfers.
• Gender differences exist in social bond indicators, with men having higher rates of employment, membership in associations, and feeling 'well informed' compared to women.

APA

Gilles, A. (2012). The Social Bond, Conflict and Violence in Haiti. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/bcce0854-651a-41cb-ad04-2bd25c596ca8/Gilles-The-Social-Bond-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Gilles, Alain. The Social Bond, Conflict and Violence in Haiti. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2012. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/bcce0854-651a-41cb-ad04-2bd25c596ca8/Gilles-The-Social-Bond-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gilles |first1=Alain |title=The Social Bond, Conflict and Violence in Haiti |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2012 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/bcce0854-651a-41cb-ad04-2bd25c596ca8/Gilles-The-Social-Bond-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gilles2012social, author = {Gilles, Alain}, title = {{The Social Bond, Conflict and Violence in Haiti}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2012}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/bcce0854-651a-41cb-ad04-2bd25c596ca8/Gilles-The-Social-Bond-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }