Peace Direct: Global Campaign
The international peacebuilding system fails to fully recognise the agency and contributions of local actors and therefore ignores the prospect of driving greater resources and investment directly towards their efforts and, by means, towards sustainable peace.
Peace Direct is partnering with local peacebuilders to identify and co-design strategies to drive forward the changes they want to see in the peacebuilding system.
About the project
The world is currently experiencing a rise in violent conflict, exacerbated by crises such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the efforts of international actors, the current peacebuilding system is failing to achieve lasting peace. Research shows that the key to lasting peace lies in local leadership. However, the validity of locally-led approaches is not widely recognized, as Western INGOs remain the primary organizations through which funds are distributed and from which advocacy and public communications are conducted. In response, Peace Direct and its partners launch a campaign that spotlights the voices, experiences, and ambitions of local peacebuilders and supports them to identify and co-design strategies to drive change in the peacebuilding system. The Global Campaign will be democratically designed and implemented with local stakeholders in three phases.
With a large network of like-minded organizations and 24 local partners in 12 countries, Peace Direct is well positioned to enable local peacebuilders to make their voices heard in the global public and political arenas and to achieve their goals. In addition, Peace Direct has a track record of supporting local approaches and good connections to a global audience of allies of their approach. This combination of experience and reach is a key factor in Robert Bosch Stiftung’s decision to provide funding.