Research Archives - Peace Direct

Category: Research

Reflecting on a year of work to decolonise peacebuilding

It’s been a year since we launched the collaboratively developed* report, Race, Power and Peacebuilding. It collated the insights and experiences of over 160 practitioners – shared through a global consultation on Platform4Dialogue – to expose the systemic racism underpinning the peacebuilding sector. The consultation participants identified many ways peacebuilding is affected by racism – … Continued

Space for nuance: local lessons from DRC

The territory of Beni is located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the province of North Kivu. For several years, the region has experienced its own share of conflict, often resulting in violence. Some groups, such as the Allied Democratic Forces, have been known to stir up conflict, however identifying instigators of violence remains a grey area.

Dear USAID; let’s make sure that “local” really means “local”

This blog was originally posted by Bond. . The international humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors are brimming with initiatives that promise to shift power and resources to local actors in the Global South.    Take #ShiftThePower, for example, which is evolving into a genuine movement or, closer to home, Bond’s own sector catalyst initiative and … Continued

It’s Time to Decolonise Aid

We are calling on international aid organisations to decolonise aid and tackle structural racism head-on, in our new report, ‘Time to Decolonise Aid‘. The report is a study into the colonial legacy of the aid system. It outlines the steps needed to transform power relations towards greater equity. As part of the research, we hosted a … Continued

12 days of peace

We won’t forget 2020 in a hurry. The pandemic put an end to many things – but not the lifesaving work of peacebuilders, and all those working to make the world safer. Staying home and social distancing have strained family and community ties. Yet, we’ve remembered the importance of solidarity and kindness – and we’ve … Continued

Six ways technology can harness the power of peace

COVID-19 has compelled millions of us to take our everyday activities online – hosting meetings virtually and using tech to catch up with family and friends. Technology for peace, known as ‘peacetech’, has also increased, with local peacebuilders using social media, data and a host of other tech advancement to drive for peace and tackle insecurity.

Call for evaluations and other evidence of the impact of local peacebuilding

Peace Direct and the Alliance for Peacebuilding are compiling a report to highlight the impact of local peacebuilding efforts around the world. This is to support our advocacy with policymakers, in line with the policy consensus that locally-owned and -led peacebuilding is essential for violence reduction and long-term stability. We are keen to review evaluation … Continued

Civil Society and Inclusive Peace

Inclusive peace, or the idea that all stakeholders in a society should have a role in defining and shaping peace, is receiving widespread global recognition. Still, despite the progress made through the increased recognition of inclusive peace at the theoretical and policy level, it has proven difficult to achieve in reality. We teamed up with the Inclusive Peace & Transition Initiative and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict to explore the dynamics of inclusivity and peacebuilding in further detail in our latest report.

Seven things we’re thankful for in 2018

2018 has been a year of growth, successes, challenges and learning for Peace Direct. We’re proud to have continued supporting local people to build peace in 12 countries around the world, and to shine a light on the efforts and resilience of grassroots action in many more.