The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 40
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Minority rights violations are often among the root causes of conflicts that have long gestation periods, root causes grounded in grievances that may bubble under the surface for years, or even decades, before violent conflict breaks out. Incorporating minority rights indicators into early warning systems would enable an earlier identification of potential conflicts. Other more technical early warning indicators, such as small arms flows and movements of displaced peoples, tend to reflect a situation that is already rapidly spiraling into violence. By the time those indicators trigger attention, grievances may have festered for decades, perhaps generations - generations of lost opportunities to heal rifts, avert conflict and build a cohesive society.