In a world where many choose to support division and conflict, we invest in peace.

We partner with local people resisting violence and promoting peace in communities experiencing violence. These local peacebuilders tackle the root causes of conflict, and we offer them the practical support they need to make a difference.

Together, we change the future every day.

With our partners, we get children into school, and out of armed groups. We help former fighters choose a peaceful future. We support people to find rewarding and non-violent employment. We build bridges – sometimes literally – to keep people safe. We prevent human rights violations. We help communities that have fought for generations to find their shared humanity, and create a better future for their grandchildren. We build peace that lasts.

For too long, the work of local peacebuilders has been overlooked. Instead, governments have invested in military power, fuelling conflict instead of choosing peace. International leaders have excluded local people affected by violence, and produced peace agreements that don’t work, because they don’t address the root causes of conflict.

We’re trying to change that. We believe in local peacebuilding, so we are committed to helping others believe in it too:

• We do the research to provide concrete evidence that local peacebuilding works.
• We advocate to policymakers and other power-holders to increase investment in peacebuilders.
• We campaign to raise awareness of local peacebuilding and shift narratives about peace and conflict.
• And we work to tackle unjust systems that undermine the possibility of a non-violent future.

We believe this is the best way to build peace that lasts

We see politicians argue endlessly about how to put an end to violence and killing. But it is not politicians from different countries who know how best to build peace. It is local people.

Historically, building peace in conflict-affected regions has involved international intervention by NGOs,  organisations like the UN, or foreign governments. Armed ‘peacekeepers’ are sent into a conflict-affected country. Short-term  talks are set up to negotiate a ceasefire , with no serious consideration of what is necessary to sustain peace in the long run. After a few months or years, the NGO or military force leaves and violence breaks out again.

• In Afghanistan, the Taliban came to rule the country and restrict human rights within weeks of international forces leaving.
• The French military spent nine years countering terrorism in Mali, but it’s now a hotbed for extremist violence.
• Scandals have plagued the direct interventions of big international charities, where local people have been exploited instead of supported to change their future.

Meanwhile, local peacebuilding works:

• In Zimbabwe, our partners have changed the way women are treated in their community and reduced rates of violence.
• In Nigeria, our partners successfully reduced rates of election-related violence through locally led campaigns.
• In DRC, our partners created early warning systems that spotted signs of rising conflict, and prevented massacres.

So what makes the difference?

Expertise-based intervention:

International interventions don’t stop violence for good. Because they are not based on local expertise and are often influenced by  the interests of foreign governments. Meanwhile, local peacebuilders have experienced the conflict affecting their communities on a daily basis. They understand what causes the violence, and live with its consequences. They are dedicated to changing the future for themselves and their loved ones.

Social science research demonstrates that peacebuilding approaches that include  deep knowledge of the  community and local cultures are more likely to have a positive and lasting impact.

Rapid response:

Local peacebuilders can respond more rapidly to escalating violence. They can reach the site of a crisis in minutes, not days. Their resources are already in place, ready to go. They know exactly what the community needs when violence or disaster strikes. And they are already embedded in communities, trusted by local people.

Tackling root causes prevents wider conflict:

Finally, local peacebuilding tackles the root causes of violence and the first outbreaks of conflict at a local level. It prevents division from escalating into violence, and helps people overcome tension to see their shared humanity. Local peacebuilding can prevent local tensions from turning into wider conflict by recognising potential triggers of violence before they emerge.

Local peacebuilding also has a role to play in preventing genocide and mass atrocities. Local people can spot the warning signs of mass violence: they are closest to sources of information and the first to witness patterns of violence. They are also able to take action rapidly to prevent atrocities, like engaging in dialogue with opposing sides, building relationships between faith and ethnic groups, and engaging community networks to monitor  violence.

History shows that the international community can rarely intervene early enough to prevent genocide and mass atrocities. The only alternative is to invest in local peace efforts.