Race, Power, and Peacebuilding: Insights and lessons from a global consultation

This report describes the findings from a global consultation on structural racism in the peacebuilding sector. It is the second report in the series Decolonising the Sector. Key findings from the consultation are:

• Deep-rooted problems of structural racism and neo-colonial views exist in the international humanitarian and development sector but are rarely acknowledged by Global North peacebuilding practitioners
• Peacebuilding frameworks are rooted in Global North knowledge systems, which reinforces an unequal power dynamic and often alienates Global South peacebuilders
• Research processes are owned by Global North actors who set the narrative and focus of the sector, effectively excluding Global South perspectives
• The perception exists that Global North peacebuilders primarily use peace interventions to forward their own interests (both domestically and geo-politically), leading to distrust among local actors
• Peacebuilding funding is inaccessible to peacebuilding actors in the Global South
• Responses often prioritize the interests of those removed from the conflict, making peace efforts unsustainable and ineffective