Peace

War and armed conflict affect the lives of some two billion people worldwide and impede the positive development of entire countries and regions. Even societies that no longer face violent conflicts often have to deal with their aftermath for decades to come. In around 60 percent of all civil wars, violence escalates again within an average of just seven years after a peace agreement.

We support societies affected by violent conflicts in their transformation toward sustainable peace. Local stakeholders who are highly familiar with the conflict and the region design their peace processes. Peace is more than just the absence of violence: It also involves the strengthening of structures and institutions that characterize peaceful societies.

Transforming conflict into sustainable peace requires time and approaches on all levels of society. Therefore, we provide medium- to long-term support in selected regions to people and organizations directly affected by conflict. Together with regional stakeholders, we set up initiatives that shape inclusive peace processes and implement projects locally. The ongoing development and implementation of local peace approaches require collective efforts. Hence, we promote exchange among academics and practitioners globally while contributing findings of our work to peacebuilding debates and activities. Furthermore, we take the relevance of climate change, migration, and inequality into consideration.