The Peace Dividend Initiative (PDI) is dedicated to harnessing market forces for peace.

Stimulating economic development in countries emerging from conflict is challenging, due to fragile institutions, insecurity and illicit networks. Therefore, reputable businesses, investors, and multilateral organisations often move in cautiously and struggle to allocate capital effectively.

As a result, the peace dividend stalls and a return to violence remains a high risk, exacerbated by persistent unemployment and economic decline – otherwise known as the ‘conflict trap’.

We bridge the gap between peace mediation and peace-supporting commercial investments by working closely with a network of trusted peace-mediators. Therefore, PDI is able to design conflict-sensitive investments to meet peace-making objectives, and to ensure close accompaniment of investments.

PDI’s interventions focus on the hardest-to-reach actors in fragile and conflict-affected areas. PDI combines the best practices of the peace-building world, through neutral, consistent and discreet dialogues, and the organisational traits of a start-up, focusing on agility and lean project development.

PDI works on both community and national levels. PDI’s mechanism allows it to identify and develop peace-supporting economic opportunities. As part of its work, PDI provides market access to entrepreneurs to fill structural gaps preventing private sector actors and investors from flourishing in post-conflict economies.