January 21, 2026
Global military spending now reaches into the trillions of dollars each year. Meanwhile, peacebuilding—the work that prevents violence before it starts—receives only a fraction of that investment. This imbalance persists despite a growing body of evidence showing that community-led peacebuilding delivers some of the highest returns of any global development investment.
So what does the evidence actually say? And why are funders increasingly shifting resources toward locally led peacebuilding efforts?
This article brings together data, evaluation approaches, and real-world success stories to answer a critical question for today’s funders: What impact evidence supports funding community-led peacebuilding—and why does it outperform traditional, international-led approaches?
What Is Community-Led Peacebuilding?
Community-led peacebuilding is a bottom-up approach to conflict prevention and resolution. It centers the people most affected by violence—local leaders, women, youth, elders, and civil society—empowering them to design and lead solutions rooted in their own context.
Rather than importing externally designed programs, community-led peacebuilding:
- Builds on local knowledge and legitimacy
- Strengthens existing social structures
- Creates durable solutions that last long after external funding ends
1: The Undeniable Impact of Community-Led Peacebuilding
What Search for Common Ground Is Seeing Today
Across today’s conflict-affected contexts, one lesson consistently emerges from Search for Common Ground’s work: peace is most durable when it is led by the people closest to the conflict.
Rather than relying on externally driven solutions, Search partners with community leaders, civil society organizations, women, youth, and local institutions to prevent violence, reduce tensions, and rebuild trust—often in environments where national-level processes are stalled or absent altogether.
The following examples reflect current, Search-supported community-led peacebuilding efforts and the kinds of results funders are seeking: tangible, cost-effective, and locally sustained impact.
Nigeria: Insider Mediation Preventing Localized Violence
In Nigeria, Search supports Insider Mediators—trusted community members such as traditional leaders, religious figures, women leaders, and youth influencers—who are uniquely positioned to intervene before tensions escalate into violence.
With Search’s technical support, these mediators have:
- Defused disputes between communities and local authorities
- Addressed election-related tensions and communal grievances
- Created local dialogue platforms that communities continue to use independently
Because these mediators already hold legitimacy within their communities, they are able to act faster and more effectively than external actors, preventing violence at a fraction of the cost of post-conflict response.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Countering Conflict Through Community-Led Dialogue and Media
In eastern DRC, Search is working with local civil society, journalists, and community leaders to reduce violence fueled by misinformation and inflammatory narratives.
Through community dialogue forums and locally produced media:
- Communities address rumors and grievances before they escalate
- Trusted local voices promote coexistence and nonviolent problem-solving
- Youth and women play visible roles in shaping public narratives
These efforts strengthen social cohesion and local resilience, even in highly volatile settings, by ensuring that peacebuilding messages are rooted in community realities rather than external messaging.
Across Contexts: A Network of Frontline Peacebuilders
Beyond individual country programs, Search supports a global network of frontline peacebuilders working in dozens of contexts today. These local actors:
- Identify early warning signs of violence
- Convene dialogue across divides
- Respond quickly to emerging tensions
- Build long-term community capacity for peaceful problem-solving
Importantly, Search’s role is not to replace local leadership, but to enable, connect, and amplify it—providing tools, training, and flexible support while communities themselves define success.
What These Examples Tell Us
Across Nigeria, DRC, Yemen, and beyond, Search for Common Ground’s current work reinforces a clear pattern:
- Local actors intervene earlier, preventing violence rather than reacting to it
- Trust accelerates impact, allowing solutions to take hold quickly
- Costs are lower, and results are more sustainable
- Peace structures endure after projects end
As one Search-supported mediator shared: “People listen because they know us. We are not visitors—we are their neighbors.”
Why This Evidence Matters for Funders
These outcomes are not the result of large-scale, externally driven interventions. They come from strategic investment in local leadership, supported by an organization willing to shift power, fund flexibly, and work at the speed of community trust.
For funders asking whether peacebuilding works—and where resources have the greatest impact—Search’s current, community-led programming offers a clear answer:
Peace works best when it is built locally.
2. Show Me the Data: How Peacebuilding Impact Is Measured
Peacebuilding impact cannot be captured by a single metric—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t measurable.
How Foundations Evaluate Peacebuilding
Leading funders increasingly use mixed-method evaluation frameworks that combine:
- Quantitative indicators
- Qualitative evidence
- Theories of change
- Participatory, community-defined measures of success
One key resource is the Eirene Peacebuilding Database, which compiles 12,000+ indicators used across peacebuilding programs globally, covering:
- Violence reduction
- Dispute resolution
- Social cohesion
- Inclusive governance
- Gender and youth participation
Community-Led Measurement Matters
Local peacebuilders are increasingly defining “everyday peace indicators”—what safety, trust, and stability actually look like in daily life.
Common indicators include:
Quantitative
- Reduction in violent incidents
- Increased school attendance
- Improved access to public services
Qualitative
- Higher trust between communities and authorities
- Shifts in social norms and attitudes
- Increased leadership by women and youth
- Functioning local peace structures that endure over time
The ROI of Peacebuilding
The numbers are compelling:
- Every $1 invested in conflict prevention yields $26–$103 in returns
- The global cost of violence reached $19.1 trillion in 2023
- Peacebuilding receives only a tiny fraction of what is spent responding to violence after it erupts
Peacebuilding isn’t just effective—it’s one of the smartest investments available.
3. Local vs. International Peacebuilding: A Clear Comparison
| Feature | Community-Led Peacebuilding | International-Led Peacebuilding |
| Approach | Bottom-up, locally driven | Often top-down |
| Knowledge | Deep local understanding | Limited contextual insight |
| Trust | High legitimacy within communities | Often perceived as outsiders |
| Sustainability | Builds long-term local capacity | Frequently collapses after exit |
| Cost | Highly cost-effective | High overhead and expatriate costs |
The Limits of International-Led Models
International peacebuilding has contributed valuable tools and visibility—but it often struggles with:
- Misalignment with local priorities
- One-size-fits-all program design
- Parallel systems that weaken local capacity
The Most Effective Model: Partnership
The strongest outcomes emerge when:
- International actors fund and support
- Local peacebuilders lead and decide
This shift isn’t about replacing international organizations—it’s about redistributing power to where peace is actually built.
4. How Funders Can Maximize Impact
A Practical Checklist for Funding Community-Led Peacebuilding
Prioritize Local Expertise
Fund local organizations directly—trust their analysis and leadership.
Provide Flexible, Long-Term Support
Multi-year, core funding allows peacebuilders to adapt in volatile contexts.
Simplify Application & Reporting
Reduce administrative burdens that disproportionately exclude small local groups.
Invest in Capacity, Not Just Projects
Support systems, staff, and leadership development—not only short-term outputs.
Shift Power Dynamics
Treat local partners as co-strategists, not implementers.
What Effective Funding Looks Like in Practice
Funders who apply these principles consistently report:
- Stronger outcomes
- Lower costs
- Higher sustainability
- Greater accountability to communities themselves
A Call to Action
Peace does not begin in conference rooms—it begins in communities.
For foundations and donors seeking evidence-backed, high-impact investments, community-led peacebuilding stands out as one of the most effective ways to reduce violence, strengthen societies, and create lasting stability.
For funders: Ready to make a measurable, lasting difference? Partner with organizations supporting proven, community-led peacebuilders.
For individuals: Your support empowers local leaders to prevent violence before it starts—and to build peace that lasts.
The evidence is clear.
The future of peacebuilding is local.
