Innovation in Conflict Prevention

Debates around how to prevent armed conflict have been intensifying, but there is still little analysis of how concrete initiatives and approaches work on the ground, as well as how they can inform global and regional governance. In order to address these gaps, the Igarapé Institute is leading the Innovation in Conflict Prevention (ICP) project, meant to identify how innovation takes place in conflict prevention practice in Africa. This project, in partnership with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), aims to support the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs)–as well as national and local stakeholders—in avoiding the outbreak, escalation or recurrence of armed conflict. We are focusing on seven case studies in three regions of Africa: the Sahel, the Great Lakes Region, and the Horn of Africa. In addition to qualitative data collected through fieldwork in seven countries (Mali, Somalia, Uganda, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Kenya and Democratic Republic of Congo), we have compiled data on hundreds of conflict prevention initiatives in these countries to produce two technological innovations. The first is a data visualization platform, called Observatory of Conflict Prevention, for different types of conflict prevention, from mediation to development-oriented programs. The second is an interactive app, CPeace, that encourages exchanges among conflict prevention practitioners working in these places, and that allows access to the analyses, texts, and podcasts.