Where we work | Peace Academy

Our works falls in four different thematic areas.

Conflict prevention and resolution in fragile and post-conflict environments

Peace processes means complicated societal change; from an environment of potential war to one of cooperation and normal political competition. For a sustainable and positive peace, it means greater representation, inclusivity, protection of rights, rule of law and much more. With these changes come many new insecurities. There will be leaders who will lose power and control. There will be groups who do not feel represented by peace, either because the peace does not go far enough or they do not want peace to begin with, since making peace is betraying what they and their fathers and mothers fought for. And there will be people who will try to profit from the insecurities by stoking up fear and differences. Additionally there will be thousands who were fighters who need to be reintegrated in society and many more who were victims, who need to compensated and reconciled. Both groups suffer from trauma.

Societal tensions in the Netherlands

The Netherlands, like many other Western democracies, is confronted with multiple, interconnected crises, in a time of polarization and questions about legitimacy of governments and elites. Cooperation is needed, but confrontation seems to be the normal modus operandi. There is talk about renewed social contracts, about renewing democracy, but that talk mostly means extended problem analyses or a bucket list of solutions. How do we go from the problems to the solutions? The confrontational environment means that the road from problem to solution is filled with obstacles, roadblocks, court cases and bruised egos. We need to go from a us versus them situation to a us and them versus the problem situation.

Designing the how, the road from problems to solutions, is part of the work of Peace Academy.

Support to organizations and companies in Netherlands and neighboring countries

Internal struggle and strive

Organizations are formed by people and how the organization functions is the result of people (not) working together. People make the organization, for better or worse. People have interests, personalities, hopes, dreams, fears, ego. And these help or hamper organizations, especially when organizations go through periods of transition and change.

Change is hard. But not impossible. Conflicts arising from change can seriously threaten the existence of organizations and the people who work in it. Preventing these conflicts by putting people central in the plans for change is vital. And when conflicts actually erupt, getting out of the conflict in a sustainable manner is equally important.

Peace Academy can help making organizations more resilient against disruptive conflicts.

External strive impacting your organization

At times you’ll find your organization or company in an environment that’s changing with strife, conflict and polarization. Your work suddenly becomes scrutinized and employees might even encounter aggression and threats. The work of Peace Academy is about societal tensions that spill over into your organization, impacts your operation and possible long term planning. It’s necessary to make your organization and your staff more resilient to these conflicts.

Peace Academy supports organizations navigating a changing societal environment and support organizations in strategy development and capacity building for staff.

Navigating negotiation processes

Every negotiation finds it origin in conflict. Negotiation is a decision-making process to reach solutions to solve conflicts. Most of these solutions are exchanges, but they can also be large processes involving dozens of actors, stakeholders, with entrenched interests and a complicated legal context. Making sense of what to do where and how in such intricated circumstances is not easy. Peace Academy can help. We can map all the interests, come to strategies and tactics, increase the capacity of the negotiators and ensure that the negotiation approached is anchored in the organization all the way to the top.

Conflict prevention and resolution in fragile and post-conflict environments

Societal tensions in the Netherlands

Support to organizations and companies in Netherlands and neighboring countries

Internal struggle and strive

External strive impacting your organization

Navigating negotiation processes

Interested in working with us?