Suggested Citation: Miklian, Jason. How Businesses Can Be Effective Local Peacebuilders – Evidence from Colombia, PRIO Policy Brief, 27. Oslo: PRIO, 2016.

This paper is an interim work product of the Business and Peace Project, being implemented jointly by CDA, Peace Research Institute Oslo, and the African Centre for Dispute Settlement. CDA and its partners welcome constructive feedback on the products of our learning projects.

Analysis of the Footprints of Peace (FOP) project by the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros in Colombia shows how business-led peacebuilding initiatives can improve local economic and societal development. The FOP case supports several existing business-peace claims, and sheds light upon three new business-peace research gaps. It also provides avenues for how policymakers can support future development-business collaborations and local peacebuilding efforts by business under certain targeted circumstances. These findings can help guide firms considering similar initiatives, take the business-peace research agenda forward, and potentially improve the likelihood of success for such initiatives in fragile and conflict-affected regions.​