Our focus, our aim, and how we work.

Overview of the project

Insight on Conflict aims to become a comprehensive database of peacebuilding initiatives in specific conflict areas. Our main focus, however, is on the unknown, virtually invisible, civil society peacebuilding initiatives which exist in tens, hundreds or even thousands in every conflict area. The people who run these initiatives and their organisations are the untapped resource which could make a major difference to the security of the world’s people over the next twenty years – particularly in low profile conflicts within rather than between countries.

The aim of the project is to make them visible to policy makers, the media and other practitioners, and display their capability to those who have most to gain from working with them. By making the range of peacebuilding work in each country easily visible, we aim to increase the range of partnership opportunities, funding and profile for these initiatives, and ensure they play a key part in all conflict prevention strategies.

The majority of the work of compiling the database is carried out within the areas concerned by local correspondents, building capacity and knowledge where it is most needed. Each local correspondent works under the guidance of a conflict expert whose role is to advise on trends and dynamics of conflict and peacebuilding activity. Peace Direct’s role is to ensure that the database draws on and does not duplicate other sources of information, as well as ensuring overall consistency, and promoting its use in countries in the West.

Currently, we are undertaking a major feedback session, collecting comments and suggestions from a wide range of potential users. As part of this process, we would greatly appreciate your input: please feel free to contact us with any thoughts using the Feedback link at the top of the page.

About the information

Information is posted on Insight on Conflict to showcase work done by individuals and organisations to build peace.

Insight on Conflict’s primary role is to act as a first resource for people seeking information about grassroots peacebuilding. It is also designed to facilitate connections between peace practitioners, media, policy makers, and the general public.

Field research of peacebuilding initiatives is carried out by Local Correspondents working in conjunction with Conflict Experts. Both individuals are carefully chosen as reasonable, dispassionate and well-informed after a careful process of consultation and recommendation.

We ask for measured views of the conflict and a selection of initiatives representative of the range of work being done by organisations or individuals of different political, religious, or ethnic affiliations. However, the information is supplied by individuals with their own perspective.

While we strive to offer a valuable, authoritative, and reliable resource, we cannot guarantee impartiality or total objectivity. It is NOT in the scope of the project to verify and evaluate in detail what is being said to us.