With the number of violent conflicts increasing, there is a worldwide need to respond more effectively. Smart Peace is a global consortium created to improve peacebuilding in fragile and conflict-affected states. The event was an opportunity for Smart Peace partners to share lessons from a range of initiatives they have been supporting for the last three years. Smart Peace partners were joined remotely by UK government officials, local partners, other international organisations and practitioners working on peacebuilding.
"The Chatham House event was an excellent opportunity for us not just to share experiences from Smart Peace, but to bring together those working on peacebuilding from different parts of the world to discuss how to build more inclusive and sustainable peace."
Laura Aumeer, Europe-Asia Department Director, Conciliation Resources
Smart Peace is a collaboration of organizations with global expertise in conflict analysis and research, peacebuilding and mediation programming, and behavioural science and evaluation, working to address the changing complexities of peacebuilding. At the event partners shared insights from initiatives including supporting local peace agreements in CAR and dialogues on reintegration of people formerly associated with Boko Haram in Nigeria, as well as on the variety of innovative ways research and innovation were integrated into Smart Peace’s peacebuilding.
Through an evidence-based adaptive approach that trialled innovative peacebuilding, research, analysis and evaluation methods, in just a few years, the Smart Peace programme has gathered a wealth of insights on better peacebuilding in northeast Nigeria, Central African Republic, Myanmar and beyond.
“Innovative and adaptive programming is crucial in places impacted by conflict where peacebuilders often face the unpredictable and unexpected. The lessons learnt by Smart Peace will help communities, international organisations and governments to implement peace strategies with greater confidence.”
Dr Alexander Ramsbotham, Director of Research and Innovation, Conciliation Resources
Smart Peace is led by Conciliation Resources in partnership with: Behavioural Insights Team, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Chatham House, Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, International Crisis Group and The Asia Foundation.
Smart Peace is funded with UK aid from the UK government.
Smart Peace was initiated in late 2018 as a four year project of approximately £12 million pounds. In 2021, following the decision to reduce the UK’s spending on Overseas Development Assistance, and similarly to many other UK Aid programmes, Smart Peace received notice of early programme closure and closed the same year.
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