Peacebuilding

Goal: Advance just and durable peace

The Peacebuilding program pursues the interrelated strategies with respect to conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia, focusing on conflicts in Afghanistan and Israel-Palestine, as well as on reducing geopolitical tensions, including between the United States and Iran. Grantmaking also seeks to address the dynamics that drive and result from violence, including forced migration.

Strategies

  • Developing analysis and policies to advance peacebuilding.
  • Supporting collaborative approaches and networks for shared security.
  • Strengthening constituencies for conflict transformation.
  • Defending civil society and human rights to foster sustainable peace.
Read the Full Guidelines

Complex factors drive threats to global peace and security. From growing economic inequality to breakdowns in trust between states and citizens, from environmental destruction to pandemics, the magnitude of today’s challenges reflects growing global interdependencies. Conflicts are becoming increasingly entrenched, fed by geopolitical rivalries, weapons flows, growing authoritarianism, and xenophobic nationalism. The impact on communities is devastating, contributing to the displacement of people on a scale not seen since World War II. These challenges require systemic and multifaceted responses.

Creating the conditions for sustainable peace requires nonviolent confrontation as well as courageous compromise. It requires challenging entrenched political and economic structures. It requires a new generation of leaders, dynamic social movements, and civil society networks to reshape existing frameworks for conflict transformation by connecting advocacy, legal approaches, human rights protections, negotiations, and policy.

The Peacebuilding program aspires to advance peacebuilding through support for policy analysis, collaborative approaches and networks, and constituency building, as well as by defending civil society actors who are working to end conflict. By engaging a diverse array of actors—especially communities affected by conflict—in solutions that address drivers of violence and instability, the program seeks to advance policy change that improves security for all. The program prioritizes efforts that advance the values of human security and dignity, pluralism and engagement, justice and accountability, equity and inclusivity, and environmental stewardship.

The Fund supports the role of women, youth, local communities, and marginalized groups in peacebuilding processes. It focuses on conflicts that have a disproportionate influence on global insecurity and violence and in which the United States has a significant involvement. In this way, it seeks to encourage broader shifts in the trajectory of U.S. foreign policy.

The Fund pursues the above interrelated strategies with respect to conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia, focusing on conflicts in Afghanistan and Israel/Palestine, as well as on reducing geopolitical tensions, including between the United States and Iran. Grantmaking also seeks to address the dynamics that drive and result from violence, including forced migration.

Program Team

Program Director

Program Officer

Program Associate

What We Fund

The Peacebuilding program funds organizations with strong records of collaboration on conflict transformation. Grantees utilize an array of nonviolent strategies to open space for critical thinking and renewed public debate on the realities of conflict. The longstanding nature of the conflicts in Israel-Palestine, Afghanistan, and between the United States and Iran necessitate long-term partnerships, minimizing resources available for unsolicited grant applicants. The program also includes a modest grantmaking portfolio to support refugee leadership and policy in Greece and Lebanon. By law, the RBF cannot provide funds earmarked for lobbying in the United States or internationally. Read more about What We Fund