New Developments in Business for Peace and the Role of Companies in War Zones School for Business and Society & IGDC

Event details

The Business for Peace agenda is a growing but highly debated one. It has attracted attention from various scholarly fields (development studies, international politics, law, international business, corporate social responsibility) and areas of practice (MNEs, NGOs, IGOs, consultancy, the media).

Can businesses help to provide the conditions for long-lasting peace in fragile states and zones of military strife and conflict around the world? How can they balance seemingly contradictory interests and avoid irresponsible actions in violent contexts? What theories help us make sense of this phenomenon, and how can policy be informed by research? Invited speakers include some of the world’s leading experts in this space, both academic and practice-oriented. Talks will present latest thinking in the Business for Peace field with speakers drawing on their experiences from locations such as Northern Ireland, the Basque Region, Bosnia Herzegovina, Myanmar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Ukraine. Speakers will present latest thinking on Business for Peace, including the use of a moral psychology lens, the role of democracy strengthening by businesses, the relationship between women’s economic inclusion and peace, organizational actors as peacebuilding entrepreneurs, how MNEs respond to human rights abuses, and the concept of peace-positive investment. There will be opportunity to pose questions and engage in the discussion with speakers throughout the day.