Evidence to Action for Peace

Evidence to Action for Peace brings together theory and practice to prevent and end wars. We cultivate, archive, share and practice peacemaking approaches and tools that are informed by experience and research.

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Evidence
The Better Evidence Project and research initiatives in Labs, Centers, Programs, and Projects at the Carter School and beyond provide evidence that guides peacemaking, war prevention, and peacebuilding.
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Action
The South Kivu Initiative local peacemaking partnership, other local peacemaking initiatives in the Center for Peacemaking Practice and beyond put into practice evidence-based guidance to prevent and end war.

Evidence to Action for Peace is a hub that works in a virtuous cycle, with evidence guiding action, action preventing and ending war, and action offering further evidence to guide future efforts.

Evidence to Action for Peace brings together local peacemakers, researchers, donors, and practitioners to take concerted action to prevent and end current wars, and to strengthen peacemaking practice by providing useful evidence to guide peacemaking.

Four circles with arrows connecting them clockwise reading: "Evidence BEP," "Action Locally Led Peacemaking," "Practitioner Consultations," and "Action Locally led Peacemaking."

Learn how we do this work

The Better Evidence Project and research initiatives in Labs, Centers, Programs, and Projects at the Carter School and beyond curate and promote strong evidence of what works and what does not work in stopping and preventing wars in order to guide the support, design, implementation, and assessment of peacemaking initiatives.

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As part of the Evidence to Action initiative the Better Evidence Project is creating a hub that combines evidence-based resources and a network through which local peacemakers, donors, policymakers, practitioners, and scholars can stay connected and learn from each other.  The foundation for Evidence to Action is a virtuous cycle with evidence guiding action, action preventing and ending current wars and armed conflicts, and action offering further evidence to guide future prevention efforts and peacemaking practice.  Through its Resource Center and through the creation and utilization of a roster of experienced peacemakers, the Better Evidence Project will provide links to resources and experienced practitioners that can provide new ideas and discreet and independent counsel for and evidence of successful locally-led peacebuilding initiatives as well as lessons from initiatives that did not ultimately succeed or could not be sustained.  In addition, the Better Evidence Project hub will be a way for practitioners to complement their own experiences and expertise by seeking guidance, relevant case studies, and evidence-based materials as well as insights and advice from experienced practitioners.

Learn more by visiting the BEP website.

Our work in South Kivu, DRC is redefining the role of academic institutions in peacemaking practice by examining both the nexus of peace scholarship and practice (praxis). We are also pursuing new ways to operate within hybrid partnerships between international and local peacemakers in pursuit of innovation in efficacy.

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Rare peace accord signed in the Congo, thanks to Carter School’s community-centered approach

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has not seen peace for more than three decades, but in November 2021, George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution helped the country take a leap in a hopeful direction.

Read the story in Carter School News.

Participants of the South Kivu Peace Process standing together as a group
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Conveners’ Community of Practice

Conveners of Track 2 and Track 1 ½ initiatives share the evidence that emerges from their experience with these peacemaking approaches. 

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The Center for Peacemaking Practice collaborates with other conveners of Track 2 and Track 1 ½ dialogues to share experience, developing evidence from our various experiences as practitioners, so that we can all improve our work. These practitioner consultations allow conveners to learn from each others’ experience and to share their own insights on challenges and innovations. 

The group has met yearly, rotating the location of meeting amongst:

These closed confidential discussions allow honest and open consideration of evidence based in experience, including sharing of what doesn’t work, as well has what has worked. 

 Funding for Conveners’ Community of Practice has come from: 

  • Carnegie Corporation of New York, 
  • Ottawa Dialogue, 
  • The Carter School, 
  • US Institute of Peace, and
  • We welcome other partners in future community of practice gatherings.  

For information on the Conveners’ Community of Practice, contact Susan Allen.

Key Personnel