I never do random drive by grammar replies, but since you put it in your edit: affect is a verb and effect is a noun usually but the way you used it needs the verb form of effect, meaning "to bring something into being/existence". So essentially you're saying it's difficult to create change in the two parties.

Note that affect can also be a noun (and is pronounced differently than the verb, with the emphasis on the first syllable), referring to someone's demeanor. You normally see it when talking about psychology.