What can donors do to strengthen the capacity of a society to manage tensions and disputes without resorting to violence? What governance interventions might improve a state’s capacity to contain conflict? How can we better understand the role corruption and natural resource spoiling plays in managing and generating conflict? A paper from the UK’s Department for International Development, entitled ‘Governance and conflict management: implications for donor intervention’, explores the impact of key governance capabilities on the effectiveness with which intra-societal conflict is managed.