Peacebuilding
Violent conflict is surging after decades of relative decline, and it is estimated that by 2030, over half of the world’s poor will be living in countries affected by high levels of violence.
The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), using data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), reports that 2024 saw the highest number of state-based conflicts since 1946, with 61 active conflicts in 36 countries. It was also among the most violent years since the Cold War, driven by wars in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and bombings in Gaza.
In 2024,
439
conflicts were addressed as part of our peace programme.
In 2023, we supported an online campaign by ALRMC against religious hate speech, reaching over
490.000
people, mainly men aged 25-34.
Drawing on experience from working on peacebuilding since 2007, trends and documented good practice in the peacebuilding field, and NCA’s global strategy, the programme contributes to building inclusive, cohesive and peaceful societies.
Related Sustainable Development Goals
Key Challenges and Structural Barriers
Complex Conflict Dynamics
Violent conflicts are increasingly shaped by ideology, identity, competition over resources, and political or economic ambition.
Fragile Peace Processes
Peace efforts that exclude key voices or lack legitimacy are unlikely to prevent future violence or build lasting peace.
Human Rights and Extremism
Violations of human rights are a major driver of violent extremism. Addressing these violations is essential to prevention.
Culture of violence
Communities and societies are losing core skills and competencies that they need to face competition over resources, political or economic ambition in a non-violent way.
Civil Society Under Pressure
A vibrant civil society is vital for peacebuilding. Yet, the space for civic action is shrinking, and those involved face growing risks.
Transnational Consequences
Conflict rarely stays within national borders. Its causes and effects often ripple across regions and influence global stability.
NCA’s Strategic Approach: Save Lives, Build Resilience, Seek Justice
Save Lives: Strengthening communities to respond peacefully in times of crisis
Peacebuilding supports crisis-affected communities through working with local community-based protection strategies and advocating duty bearers to reduce violence.
- Enhance non-violent local conflict management
- Provide analytical tools to understand conflict dynamics
- Support and strengthen communities’ self-protection capacities
- Reduce reliance on external aid and reinforce local solidarity
- Engage and strengthen community-based protection structures
- Provide psychosocial support to persons affected by violence
Seek Justice: Promoting inclusive participation and structural change
Peacebuilding supports advocacy for more inclusive legal and social norms, and meaningful participation of civil society actors in processes that affect their communities.
- Advocate with religious actors for more inclusive legal and social norms
- Promote meaningful participation of marginalized groups in peace processes
- Support civil society actors in all phases of peacebuilding
- Partner with human rights defenders and peace activists
Collaborating with Faith Actors and Civil Society
NCA collaborates with faith actors and civil society to promote peaceful resolution and sustainable peace in times of conflict. By engaging religious leaders and stakeholders, NCA advocates for the transformation of harmful norms and the elimination of root causes of violence. Trusted religious actors can help bridge divides, foster dialogue, and advocate to reduce the impact of violence on civilians.
These efforts are supported by a strong focus on inclusion, particularly of women and youth. NCA’s peacebuilding approach embraces intersectionality, recognising the multiple identity markers individuals carry.
Result case
In 2024, NCA launched a pilot project to strengthen safe community involvement in decision-making through a digital tool linked to WhatsApp. The initiative is being piloted in Tanzania and has broader relevance for NCA’s peace and humanitarian work globally.
How:
The tool was developed through a co-creation process involving twelve tech companies from Africa, the United States and Europe. It is designed to facilitate secure and inclusive participation in project decisions via WhatsApp.
Why:
The aim is to enhance community protection by enabling safer, more accessible channels for engagement. This supports NCA’s strategic goals in peacebuilding and humanitarian response.
What:
The project, named ProTECHtion, received funding from Innovation Norway. It is currently being tested in Tanzania and has potential applications across NCA’s global programmes.
Result case
NCA and its partners have In 2024 supported local peace efforts in Ethiopia by strengthening community-based structures and addressing intercommunal conflicts. These initiatives have contributed to restoring trust and improving protection in areas affected by violence.
How:
A total of 443 peace committees and women and youth peace groups have been established or strengthened, with 65 percent of participants being women. Thirty-six intercommunal conflicts have been addressed through these structures. The approach relies on supporting community-led initiatives, enabling local actors to lead peacebuilding efforts.
Why:
The programme aims to strengthen social cohesion in areas heavily impacted by violent conflict. This is achieved by restoring trust between groups, facilitating collaboration, and negotiating protection of civilians and access to essential services such as health institutions and markets.
What:
The programme has led to the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their home areas and the release of hundreds of kidnapped civilians. Community actors have played a vital role in building peace in locations where NCA and its partners cannot operate directly.
Result case
Pakistan is home to the world’s fourth largest Hindu population, with Hinduism constituting the second largest religion in Pakistan after Islam.
WHY:
Article 36 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 enshrines the policy of protection of minorities. However, there was no law regulating the terms and procedures for contracting and dissolving Hindu marriages, and Hindu marriages were therefore often difficult to prove. This particularly affected Hindu women and children negatively. If the husband wanted to dissolve the marriage, the wife and children risked being left without financial support, as the marriage could not be proven. Likewise, if the husband passed away, the wife and children risked being unable to claim their inheritance for the same reason. These vulnerable situations also left Hindu women and children at risk of child and forced marriage and forced conversion.
WHAT:
NCA Pakistan, with the support of Norad, has been implementing the “Joint Social Action for Equal Rights and Opportunities for Minorities of Faith and Belief in Pakistan” project since 2016. The project focuses on the protection and equal citizenship rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. With the support and facilitation of NCA, local partners played an important role in lobbying and advocacy efforts along with other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) which resulted in the passage of Hindu Marriage Act.
HOW:
NCA in Pakistan had been supporting the advocacy efforts of its partners for legislation on Hindu marriage in Sindh since 2014, as advocacy for human rights is a long-term process that requires persistent efforts to achieve results. The coordinated efforts of CSOs, the media and parliamentarians were crucial in ensuring the passage of the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act. This included reviewing the draft of the bill taking action to address gaps such as having a group of CSO representatives present their recommendations for improvements to the bill to the Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs; having legal experts prepare concrete recommendations for the Sindh Assembly; conducting a series of lobbying meetings with Muslim, Christian, and Hindu parliamentarians to mobilise them to ensure the improvements were incorporated into the draft bill. Partners also engaged print and electronic media to highlight issues in the provincial draft and create awareness for the improvements required.
As a result of the immense pressure from CSOs including NCA’s partners, the draft Hindu Marriage Bill was revised with some of the improvements suggested by civil society, and the bill was passed and amended by the Sindh Assembly in 2018. To create awareness among the population about this new legislation, NCA’s partner translated the approved Act into the local language (Sindhi) and circulated it at the village level through Community Peace Groups. After the passage of this Act, a research study was published on issues related to minorities of faith and belief that documents the positive impacts of the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and consultative meetings. The Act now gives right of separation to both husband and wife in addition to ensuring financial security of the wife and children. Other legal benefits include registering births, deaths and Family Registration Certificate, which is the proof of family composition. Ensuring proper implementation of the legislation requires continuous follow up, and NCA’s partners are contributing to this by conducting advocacy through various media channels and attending lobbying meetings with government authorities and parliamentarians at the provincial and federal level.
Resources
Unarmed civilian protection (UCP) is one of the most effective responses there is to one of the greatest, consistent challenges of our time: The killing of civilians in warfare. This document is a presentation of UCP and accompaniment, with a proposal for how Norwegian church-based organizations and their partners can utilize UCP or aspects
thereof in order to be a more effective force for peace where they work.
This manual is part of a package developed to support practitioners in integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) into Peacebuilding programming and activities.
Insights and lessons learned from practitioners in the field clearly highlight the importance of this integration. A lack of mental health support is often a significant barrier to achieving sustainable peace at the community level.
