People who use Do No Harm continually analyze their situations according to the issues and factors that divide individuals and groups from each other and the issues and factors that connect individuals and groups. These two basic categories of Dividers and Connectors provide them with a depth of understanding of the contexts where they work and of the impacts of their work on those contexts. Using these two categories for the basis of their program designs makes a significant difference in understanding, insight, and effectiveness.

Assumptions about Connectors

How does it connect people? Don’t romanticize!

“Women” or “women’s groups” are often identified as connectors, as are “economic interests” or “infrastructure”. While in some places women reach across conflict lines, in others women insist on revenge for their loved ones’ suffering. Infrastructure or natural resources (such as a river) may connect people physically, but may be being used in ways that create tension. A marketplace may encourage people to meet, but they can just as easily be segregated.

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Related Topics
“We can create Connectors to bring people together”
“That person or group is a Divider/Connector”
Weak Connectors are not Dividers
Common Misunderstandings about Dividers and Connectors
Understanding Dividers and Connectors
Do No Harm SAVES: Categories for Disaggregating a Context