Peace Works: How we can build peace together in our volatile world
The world can’t afford more conflict. Turning the tide against it and its devastating impacts starts with one simple truth: peace must stay a top priority – globally and in the UK.
A coalition of 11 organisations working to build peace, including International Alert, developed ‘Peace Works’ – a new report making a compelling case for sustained support of conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
The report covers:
- The true cost of conflict, globally and to the UK
- The trends reshaping conflict today – from the new “world dis-order” to the rapid advances in digital technologies
- Real-world examples of peacebuilding in action, including from Alert’s work in Nigeria, the Horn of Africa, Lebanon and Mali
- A clear roadmap for how the UK government can shift the trajectory on violent conflict – by using existing expertise, building stronger coalitions, backing local peacebuilders, and embracing new “PeaceTech” tools
Defence and security alone can’t deliver the stability governments need to invest in people and institutions. Peace is the foundation every society needs to thrive – and it has to be built deliberately, alongside defence, not after it.
The British public want to see their government doing more to promote peace around the world. In a recent survey by More in Common, 70% of respondents agreed that it is important that the UK invests more resources into peacebuilding. A fifth of those surveyed said that the UK should play a leading role in foreign affairs.
The Peace Works report recommends the UK government should focus on:
- Prioritising prevention in policy by publicly committing to a whole-of-government approach to conflict and atrocity prevention and emboldening Ministers, advisers and officials to think ahead and offer more ambitious conflict policies.
- Energising coalitions of the willing outside of the usual suspects in support of conflict prevention, international law and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
- Harnessing UK peace capabilities: Set up cross-government conflict prevention taskforces and an external ‘challenge board’ to connect different sources of expertise and shape joined up, long-term strategies.
- Championing local peacebuilding: Increase direct funding to local civil society and streamline administrative burdens to ensure resources reach those best placed to act.
- Spearheading a step change in ‘PeaceTech’: Invest in digital safety for peacebuilders and collaborate with tech firms to regulate AI and social media in conflict contexts.
