of multiple groups because of the nature of the parliamentary process and parliaments' ability to build relationships within parliament and within the broader community. The role of parliament in conflict-affected countries becomes even more pronounced when you consider the correlation between poverty and conflict; by addressing issues of poverty, equitable distribution of resources and economic development parliamentarians can attempt to guard against the creation of an enabling environment that is prone to the escalation of conflict. Some of the strategies parliaments and parliamentarians can adopt in order to reduce the incidence of conflict and effectively manage conflict when it does emerge are discussed in broad terms. In particular, the paper looks at participation and representation; parliamentary functions and oversight; the role of civil society and the media; the opposition; promoting socio-economic equality; rule of law; decentralization; and regional parliamentary peacebuilding. It is hoped that by developing a better understanding of the nexus between parliament, poverty and conflict parliamentarians