Can business add to peace where it’s most needed?

The latest special issue of 'Conflict, Security & Development' is co-edited by DIIS Researcher Peer Schouten, and showcases the capstone publication for the project: Conflict of interest? 'Business For Peace' as Development Aid in Volatile Environments - funded by the Research Council of Norway.

The project sought to explore how corporate activities in volatile environments influence political, economic, and social dynamics of peace and development.While the ‘business for peace’ discourse tends to focus on multinational corporations, the special issue focuses on some of the contexts where business could make most of a difference. Here, the findings show, a broader take on ‘business’ as well as ‘peace’ is needed to understand business-conflict interactions.

The open accessissue also includes an article by Schouten, co-authored with Esther Marijnen, providing a case study of an electrification scheme that was supposed to contribute to peacebuilding around Eastern Congo’s conflict-affected Virunga National Park.