#2

Securing adequate funding is crucial for the sustainability and effectiveness of peacebuilding efforts. This is especially true for efforts led by local peacebuilders, who best understand what their communities need.

Many local peacebuilding initiatives struggle to access funding however, due to administrative, language, cultural, structural, logistical, and bureaucratic barriers. International organisations have fewer barriers to funding but are more likely to act in competition with local civil society. They are also less likely to understand the true opportunities and barriers, or to stay in the community for the long term.

From 2016 to 2019, only 13% of U.S. foundations’ global grant dollars went directly to in-country organisations where programs were implemented. We must remove these barriers to funding, and proactively channel resources to local peacebuilders working in communities closest to conflict.

We call on international institutions, Global North governments and NGOs to:

• Streamline the funding process by reducing bureaucratic and language hurdles, and offer flexible, unrestricted funding for local civil society for the long term.
• Encourage and support sustainable grassroots grant making initiatives. These initiatives should be self-sustaining and based on indigenous and local solutions.
• Fund local peacebuilders. Allowing for more equitable resource allocation mechanisms that ensure adequate, pressure-free space and time is given to local peacebuilding initiatives.

Sign the Manifesto!

Helpful resources:

• Transforming partnerships: an operational guide to decolonising partnerships in the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development sector.
• Funding Women Peacebuilders: Dismantling Barriers to Peace.