Research can provide insight into ‘the business case for peace’ and the ‘business case for conflict’. In the first case companies assign a positive economic value to peace and stability, whereas in the second case conflict is exacerbated by the presence of companies that take advantage of instability. However, too often research on the role of the private sector in fragile and conflict-affected situations does not trickle down to policymakers, civil society or the private sector itself, for that matter.

Facilitated by Anette Hoffmann of the Conflict Research Unit at Clingendael Institute and hosted by the Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law, a group of experts gathered on the 21^st of May in The Hague to get a better understanding of the role of the private sector in fragile and conflict-affected situations. The aim was to determine the research gaps as experienced by practitioners; in addition we wanted to identify how practitioners and policymakers can best use existing research in order to change corporate behavior and increase conflict sensitivity by businesses. The expert meeting was organized by SOMO, Oxfam Novib and Tilburg Law School to bring together practitioners, policymakers and academics working in fragile states and interested in the role of the private sector in peace building. Around the table were people from various backgrounds: business and human rights, SME development, economy and peacebuilding, and criminology, among others. This created an interesting exchange of ideas and led to new connections.

Kicking off the meeting, Dirk-Jan Koch, the Dutch Special Envoy for Natural Resources,  conveyed to the audience: “Take that money: do not hesitate to accept corporate funding because research can actually become better as a result.” However, he also made it very clear that corporate funding should only be accepted if the researchers can maintain their professional integrity and independence.

Key conclusions

Of course, money was not the only issue at hand. In three different working groups, people identified and discussed the existing research gaps. One of the key conclusions was that there is a need for research that provides factual, evidence based information. This research should focus on (1) the “business case for peace”, (2) the implementation of international standards in conflict-affected situations, and (3) the different interests within companies: who are the agents of change and how are HQ level policies trickling down to the field level?

Also, it became clear that better channels are needed to spread the information from the world of academics to the world of practitioners and policymakers. A lot of research seldom reaches the people that are actually involved: NGOs, who can use the research results in their lobby and advocacy; policymakers, who can use it to feed into better policies for private sector development in fragile states; and companies, who can improve their business policies and practices by learning from academic insights. According to Prof. Cees van Dam of the Rotterdam School of Management, it is all about framing your research results: “Not from the perspective of right or wrong, but as dilemmas, which is a safe perspective for business people to discuss issues.”

But even within the group of experts, opinions were divided on whether this would be sufficient to change the private sector. Some stated that there is a market for greenwashing of companies’ operations in conflict-affected areas, and that NGOs are being misused by companies, for example to legitimize their involvement in controversial practices. As some of the experts highlighted, there are also companies who are not out there to bring peace, but who actually see the “business case for conflict”. Hence the need for a better understanding of the circumstances under which companies are actually attracted to conflict to make a profit was identified.

“It is hard to talk to business people to get their perspective but it is important to do so”, said Prof. Cees van Dam at the concluding session of the expert meeting. In order to understand the business case for peace or conflict, researchers need to engage with companies, instead of taking an outsider perspective only.

More information

For more information, or to become involved in the follow-up to this meeting, please contact Joyce Kortlandt of Oxfam Novib ([email protected]), Mark van Dorp of SOMO ([email protected]) and Nicola Jägers of Tilburg Law School ([email protected]).

The summary report of the meeting can be found here.

Integrity’s Project Officer for MENA Sara Habachi hosted a workshop in Beirut on Thursday 23 April 2015, the third and final in a workshop series exploring the barriers to utilising local and national research from Mali, South Sudan and Syria to inform international programming. This workshop series is supported by the Netherlands-based Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law and is being delivered in consortium withSpring Factor and Spark.

Amongst the participants in Beirut were individuals from a diverse range of organisations, including NGOs, research consultancies and local and international researchers who are currently working on the Syrian crisis.

The workshop identified important barriers to the collaboration between local researchers and international interlocutors working on youth employment in Syria. Key findings included limited access due to security and operational issues, as well as limitations to participation as a result of diminished trust and research fatigue. In addition, participants identified a lack of research capability and the limited engagement of Syrians in programme design and implementation.

As part of the final phase of the project, our team will present the findings from all three workshops (Bamako, Juba and Beirut) in The Hague on 28 May 2015. For more information, and to register, please click here. A final report will be made public in June 2015.

If you are interested in receiving more information, please contact [email protected].

Integrity’s South Sudan Country Manager Diana Ware  hosted a workshop in Juba, South Sudan, on Friday 20 March '15, for the second installment in a series of workshops focusing on youth employment and the role of local research.

Amongst the participants were individuals from a diverse range of organizations, including NGOs, research consultancies, local and international researchers and university representatives.

The workshop identified important barriers to the collaboration between local researchers and international interlocutors working on youth employment in South Sudan. Throughout the day, participants worked together to generate ideas and answers regarding two primary questions: 1) What factors prevent research being produced by local and national actors (including the youth) from informing programming by international actors on youth employment? And 2) In what ways can both national and international actors address these challenges and improve the uptake of local research?

One of the key findings was that poor networking between national and international actors acts as a barrier to the use of local researchers.

The outcomes of this workshop will inform a learning network that connects relevant actors to shared experiences and challenges, creating a useful platform for continued work in South Sudan. The workshop was supported by the Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law as part of a larger series on exploring local research capacity.

Youth unemployment is a risk factor for a country like Mali, a fragile state where the security situation is steadily worsening. The international community is aware of this challenge and is conducting targeted programming to provide a range of opportunities to young Malians and help promote youth employment. However, there seem to be barriers that hinder its engagement with local and national researchers to inform their programming, an interaction that has the potential to provide a much-needed local level perspective.

On 16 March 2015, Spring Factor and Integrity Research and Consultancy held a workshop in Bamako, Mali to address the issue of how local research can inform youth employment programming. A diverse group of participants attended, including international donors (Netherlands, World Bank, International Labour Organisation), NGOs (Spark, Oxfam, SNV), consultancy firms (Fair&Sustainable), Malian researchers (Universities of Bamako and Ségou), youth groups (Jeune Chambre Internationale Mali and Collective Plus Jamais Ca), government and other Malian stakeholders. The workshop is supported by the Netherlands-based Knowledge Platform on Security & Rule of Law as part of a larger series on exploring local research capacity.

The workshop identified important barriers to the collaboration between local researchers and international interlocutors working on youth employment in Mali. Whereas lack of capacity, resources and language skills are challenges when working with local and national researchers, participants also stressed the challenges in working with international actors, who are not always aware of political-cultural sensitivities, have predetermined priorities and face rushed timelines. The group also formulated a number of recommendations, which will be presented at a meeting in The Hague at the end of May for the wider network of the Knowledge Platform on Security & Rule of Law. This will discuss the findings of the other workshops in this series on South Sudan and the Middle East as well. If you are interested in receiving more information, please contact [email protected] or[email protected].