Philanthropic Foundations' Assistance in Post-Conflict Situations: A Case Study of Post-Communist Southeast Europe

Armed conflicts have become a feature of the globalizing post-Cold War world. Between 1989 and 2002, there were 111 wars, rebellions, and mass clashes around the world. Some of them absorbed millions of people and spread across borders of several states, and, as such, armed conflicts and their consequences have predictably became the focus of international concern.Assistance to post-conflict situations is predominantly understood as provision of humanitarian relief and support for compliance with relevant peace accords. As such, it is mostly provided by international organizations, such as the United Nations and the European Union. Post-conflinct assistance is a relatively new area for philanthropic organizations; in 2001, the bulk of the assistance that US philanthropic foundations send abroad was directed towards developmental, environmental and disaster-relief goals; while international assistance international assistance itself comprised the smallest proportion of charitable giving (1, 3%).