Check out there amazing environmental peacebuilding organizations and others working for people and planet.
by Taylor O’Connor | 13 August 2024
Photo by David Clode on Unsplash
“In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace.” – Wangari Maathai
During my years involved in international peacebuilding and peace activism, I find that it is often challenging for those that work for peace to explain the link between peace, conflict/war and the environment.
It isn’t that the link isn’t there. Often we know that there is a link, but we have a hard time explaining the link. We may say that war destroys the environment or that environmental destruction can cause conflict, but often beyond one example we struggle to provide a more full explanation. And we are seldom aware of the great work that environmental peace groups are doing.
In reality, there are a multitude of linkages between the environment and violent conflict, and there are numerous ways to use environmental protection as an approach to build peace. Fortunately, there are so many amazing organizations and networks involved in environmental peacebuilding to inspire us and help us learn.
I hope that this blog post exposes you to the amazing work that so many groups are doing to address environmental issues that cause conflict and use environmental protection as an approach for building peace. Review the organizations and approaches mapped in this blog post, find some approach that inspires you, then find ways to integrate what you learn in your efforts for peace. Or better yet, launch your own action or initiative for environmental peacebuilding.
Lessons learned on environmental peacebuilding
Let’s start with a clear definition of what environmental peacebuilding is. Below is a definition of environmental peacebuilding that I got from the glossary of Conservation International’s training manual on environmental peacebuilding.
Environmental peacebuilding: Incorporating the value of natural capital and the related benefits into security, humanitarian and development objectives in order to prevent conflict and promote peace.
To put it in a simple and practical way, for me, environmental peacebuilding includes any effort to address the environmental causes of conflict or to use environmental protection/conservation to mobilize people to work together to build peaceful relationships amongst humans and with the natural environment.
What I learned in researching for this blog post is that there are many organizations involved in environmental peacebuilding as I defined above. Few of them describe themselves as environmental peacebuilding organizations, but most of them are either addressing environmental causes to conflict or using collaboration around environmental issues to build peace.
Also, I learned that there are many approaches to environmental peacebuilding, and I have organized this list of environmental peacebuilding organizations by category associated with their key approaches. The next section maps these categories.
Organizations that promote environmental peacebuilding
So in this section you will find my list of key organizations that promote environmental peacebuilding. Some explicitly describe themselves as environmental peacebuilding organizations or networks, while others just have an explicitly focus on the linkages between environment and peace.
I have organized these organizations into the following categories:
- Environmental Peacebuilding organizations and networks
- Environmental organizations with peace focus
- Environmental peacebuilding projects and initiatives
- Think tanks and research institutes for environmental peace
- Education for sustainable development and peace
You will see that organizations in this blog post are explicitly related to environmental peacebuilding. There are many more organizations that work in some way related to environment and peace, but not explicitly. Many of these will be covered in future blog posts.
Not included in this blog posts (but many to be included in other blog posts in the near future) are the following:
- Environmental justice organizations
- Organizations that advocate for demilitarization to protect the environment
- Peace parks
- Scientists for demilitarization and environmental protection
- Nuclear abolition groups and organizations that highlight the environmental destruction of nuclear weapons
- Peacebuilding organizations that have environment projects
- Environmental organizations with no explicit link to peace
- University environmental studies programs that do not have an explicit link to peace; University peace studies programs with no link to environment; University programs are not included if they do not have a research component, even if they study environmental peacebuilding explicitly
- Organizations that focus on responsible business in conflict zones that prevent businesses and corporations from destroying the environment
- Indigenous networks and organizations that advocate for protection of environment
Once other related blog posts are complete I’ll link them here.
Environmental Peacebuilding organizations and networks
In this section I have included organizations that make an explicit link between peacebuilding and environment. Some are explicitly environmental peacebuilding organizations and networks while others are peacebuilding organizations with a strong environment or sustainability focus.
The Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPax)
Environmental Peacebuilding Association (Enpax) is a global community of individuals and organizations dedicated to harnessing the power of environmental sustainability to promote peace and justice worldwide. They bring together researchers, practitioners, and decision makers to share experiences and lessons from managing natural resources in conflict affected settings and support the growing networks of professionals active in environmental peacebuilding. They serve as a hub of resources, events and other services for the global community of everyday peacebuilders.
Ecosystem for Peace
Ecosystem for Peace is an online community of practice that works to foster collaboration, dialogue, and learning on environmental peacebuilding, conflict-sensitive conservation, and climate security. They bring together over 950 individuals from 300 organizations worldwide through regular meetings, working groups, and collective projects. Ecosystem for Peace aims to promote inter-institutional collaboration, innovation, and the mainstreaming of environmental peacebuidling issues into organizations, institutions, and policy processes. Their website serves as a hub for showcasing the collective work of the community, including the development of a White Paper on the Future of Environmental Peacebuilding.
The Center for Conservation Peacebuilding
The Center for Conservation Peacebuilding transforms social conflicts to create lasting solutions for people and wildlife. They focus on addressing social conflicts related to conservation, recognizing that such conflicts harm people and nature. They have developed their own approach called ‘Conservation Conflict Transformation (CCT)’ where they have innovated their own skills, processes, and strategies for resolving conservation-related conflicts. They lead their own interventions, facilitate workshops, provide advising services and are cultivating a community of practice.
Institute for Climate and Peace
The Institute for Climate and Peace works to advance peaceful, climate-resilient futures by empowering and amplifying the wisdom, ingenuity, and voices of communities, particularly those historically marginalized. Through projects that facilitate learning and exchange of climate science and indigenous wisdom, the organization champions people-centered climate action and policy transformation globally. The Institute envisions and builds ideal futures, transforming obstacles into opportunities for peaceful change in the face of impending climate threats.
The Security and Sustainability Guide
Security & Sustainability Guide (SSG) equips individuals and communities with practical knowledge and tools to navigate the intersections of security and sustainability. They work to identify and describe both international and national organizations of possible international interest that are focused on goals of security and sustainability which aimed at addressing global issues of peace and environmental sustainability. SSG has identified more than 2,500 organizations that working to achieve one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals regarding climate, oceans, forests, hunger, poverty, inequality, education, etc. Their website is a hub of organizations and resources.
The Green Cross International
Green Cross International is an environmental organization founded by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993. With member organizations in 30 countries, their primary mission is to respond to the combined challenges of security, poverty, and environmental degradation to ensure a sustainable and secure future. They empower governments, the private sector, and civil society to make basic changes that develop sustainable communities and prevent conflicts caused by environmental degradation, while aiding those affected by the environmental consequences of man-made disasters. Key activities included environmental education, promoting the Earth Charter and organizing Earth Dialogues.
Earth Charter International
Earth Charter International (ECI) is a global movement that brings together individuals and organizations from around the world to promote the principles of the Earth Charter, a document that seeks to inspire a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of humanity and the planet. Through dialogue, networking, and education they work to contribute towards a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
Environmental organizations with peace focus
In this section I have included environmental organizations that have some focus on peace or peacebuilding. For these, the primary focus is the environment, but they either have peace integrated in their purpose and approaches, or they have some activity explicitly focused on peace or peacebuilding. A common thread I find with all of these is that they recognize the link between environmental harm and conflict, and in many cases their mission explicitly links people and planet.
Conservation International
Conservation International is dedicated to protecting nature and promoting sustainable development to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for all. They work to stabilize our climate by protecting and restoring nature, promoting ocean protection, and expanding nature-positive economies. They forge collaborative relationships between communities, governments, scientists corporations and finance institutions. They recognize that were humans use land or natural resources in incompatible ways, conflict can arise, and where there is human conflict, nature loses. They have been instrumental in efforts to link conservation and peace, and even have created a really great environmental peacebuilding training manual available for download on their website.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace works to preserve endangered species, fight against environmental abuses, and increasing environmental awareness through direct confrontations with polluting corporations and government authorities. They work to transform the relationship between humans and nature through their campaigns focused on climate & energy, biodiversity, and socio-economic issues. By empowering individuals and fostering collective action, they strive to create a world where people and the environment coexist harmoniously, promoting a more just and sustainable future for all.
The Green Belt Movement
The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is a Kenya-based organization founded by environmental peace hero Wangari Maathai in 1977 to address the needs of rural women. Through the planting of trees and reforestation activities, GBM empowers communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods. During her life, Wangari Maathai always spoke of the connection between environmental conservation and peace. In her words, “When we plant trees, we plant seeds of peace and hope.” GBM partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its Billion Tree Campaign and has expanded its work across the African continent.
The UN Environment Programme and the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the UN agency dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability and sustainable development. UNEP conducts research, promotes international cooperation, and supports countries in implementing environmental policies and practices. They also play a crucial role in advocating for the protection of ecosystems, addressing climate change, and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources. UNEP established the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) in 2018 in collaboration with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), to systematically address climate-related security risks. The CSM provides support for conducting climate security risk assessments, developing risk management strategies, and offers capacity building initiatives, including a toolbox to analyze climate-related security risks effectively.
The Environmental Law Institute
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) works to build a healthy environment, prosperous economies, and vibrant communities founded on the rule of law. Focusing on environmental law and policy issues, they aim to promote innovative solutions to pressing environmental challenges through research, education, and advocacy. ELI’s key activities include conducting research, providing education and training programs, and offering valuable resources to policymakers and the public to advance environmental protection and sustainability. ELI has been active in the environmental peacebuidling movement and has been a leading source of information on the environmental consequences of war.
Environmental peacebuilding projects and initiatives
Organizations in this section are carrying out projects and activities associated with environmental peacebuilding. Often they work building bridges across diverse populations and use natural resource sharing as an approach to build peace. Water sharing is a big focus for some.
The EcoPeace Middle East
EcoPeace Middle East brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists to work towards sustainable development and peaceful solutions in the region. They recognize that Water is at the center of an environmental crisis in the Middle East, and a focal point for conflict. Through promoting a collaborative efforts to protect their shared environmental heritage they seek to advance both sustainable regional development and the creation of necessary conditions for lasting peace in the Middle East.
IMPACT
With operations primarily on the African continent, IMPACT works to transform how natural resources are managed in areas where security and human rights are at high risk. Working with local community partners, they investigate and develop approaches for natural resources sharing to improve security, development, and equality.
The Energy Peace Partners
Energy Peace Partners leverages climate and finance solutions to promote peace in the world’s most fragile regions. They have developed their own approaches and tools to bring the renewable energy revolution to some of the planet’s most vulnerable populations in conflict-affected regions around the world. They work at the intersection of energy poverty, conflict risk and climate vulnerability to demonstrate the peace dividends of clean energy. By promoting sustainable energy solutions and fostering cooperation among diverse stakeholders, Energy Peace Partners empowers communities to uplift themselves and create a future that is both sustainable and peaceful.
Think tanks and research institutes for environmental peace
There are many think tanks on peacebuilding (see my blog post on Think Tanks and Thought Leaders in Global Peacebuilding) and there are many think tanks on environment. Think tanks and research institutes in this section, however, are focused explicitly on the links between environment and peace. Most focus on the study of natural resource conflicts, water being the most common of conflicts. Some also study natural resource cooperation as an approach to peacebuilding. Some use their research to advocate for policy solutions at the national and international levels.
The Institute for Water Education (formerly The Water Peace and Security Partnership)
The Institute for Water Education aims to develop capacity of people, institutions and countries to address the world’s water challenges. The Institute conducts research into water-based conflicts and offers fully accredited MSc degrees and PhD degrees in collaboration with Dutch partner universities. Since it began in 1957, the Institute has provided water education and training to more than 25,000 professionals from over 190 countries. The Institute develops innovative tools that help stakeholders identify and understand water-related security risks, address the increasing water insecurity, and enable proactive conflict prevention and mitigation associated with water-based conflicts.
The Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security | at the University of Vermont
The Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security (IEDS) is a transdisciplinary research center at the University of Vermont (UVM) dedicated to the study of techniques for resolving environmental conflicts and using ecological processes as tools for peace-building. They believe that ecological resources shared across political boundaries can be a powerful avenue for peacebuilding. Through partnerships and collaboration with experts, they focus on research themes like water diplomacy, science diplomacy, climate diplomacy, responsible artificial Intelligence, and food-energy-water security, all aimed at fostering sustainable solutions for a more peaceful and just world. On their website you can find their publications, recordings from thematic webinars, and upcoming events.
The Geneva Water Hub
Geneva Water Hub works to help prevent water-related conflicts and promote water as an instrument of peace and cooperation. They believe that when water is shared equitably, and spared from the ravages of pollution and armed conflict, peace can prevail. Operating within the University of Geneva, it serves as a research and knowledge platform dedicated to addressing water-related challenges and fostering cooperation among diverse stakeholders Through collaborative initiatives and expertise, the Hub strives to promote sustainable water governance, empower communities, and drive positive change towards a more equitable and peaceful world.
The Institute for Resource and Security Studies
Institute for Resource and Security Studies (IRSS) is an independent, non-profit research and public education organization based in Massachusetts, USA. Founded in 1984, their mission is to promote international security and the sustainable use of natural resources through technical and policy research. IRSS collaborates with organizations to empower individuals and communities by offering education for sustainability and support for technologies that reduce environmental impacts. Additionally, they engage in conflict risk analysis and promote human security, fostering a world where peace and justice thrive. Their website organizes their publications by 5 categories: Energy and Environment, Global Human Security, International Conflict Management, Knowledge Exchange, and Sustainable Development.
Pacific Institute
The Pacific Institute envisions a world where society, the economy, and the environment have the water they need to thrive now and in the future. Their key activities include addressing climate impacts on water access, promoting nature-based solutions for climate-resilient water systems, and advocating for water efficiency and reuse to drive innovation in managing water resources sustainably. They use science-based research to advocate for policy solutions.
The Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)
Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) promotes ecologically sustainable, peaceful societies through policy research and social justice advocacy. By partnering with dynamic social movements, they empower individuals and foster collective action towards creating positive change in local communities and addressing global challenges. IPS has been a key resource for social justice and peace movements since its founding in 1963. Key focus areas of their research include climate justice as well as peace and foreign policy.
Education for sustainable development and peace
A few organizations I have included here have education and training programs that link environment, sustainable development and peace. There are certainly more organizations like this operating at the local and national levels, but I have included just a few examples of those with more developed websites and with resources on their websites.
The Peace Boat
Peace Boat uses global voyages (in their ‘peace boat’) to promote peace, justice, and sustainability around the world. Each year they organize three Global Voyages and two shorter Asian regional voyages. During voyages participants learn about peace, human rights, and sustainability issues through their onboard education programs, then they connect with local organizations in the countries they visit. Their approaches to promoting peace and sustainability center around educational programming, supporting local grassroots actions, and forging connections amongst international participants with local actions.
The Roots and Shoots
Roots & Shoots is a youth-led global community action program founded by the Jane Goodall Institute. It is a movement of youth who are empowered to use their voice and actions to make compassionate decisions, influencing and leading change in their communities. Through partnerships with schools, educators, and youth organizations, Roots & Shoots enables young people to create positive impacts in the realms of people, animals, and the environment to foster a more harmonious and sustainable world.
The Woolman School
The Woolman School engages youth and adults with experiential education programs centered around peace, justice, and environmental sustainability. Through experiential learning and engagement with diverse perspectives, students develop the knowledge and skills needed to create positive change in their communities and contribute to a more peaceful world. They support change makers by offering workshops and organizing events that inspire and prepare individuals to actively pursue peace, justice, and environmental sustainability. The Woolman School was founded in 1963 and is located in Northern California, USA.
Support environmental peacebuilding
I hope that his blog post helped you understand more clearly the multitude of links that exist between peace, conflict, and the environment. In recognizing the numerous connections exist we can find innovative, nature-inspired solutions to foster peace.
By shining a light on the incredible work of environmental peace groups, I hope this blog post helps you find ways to integrate environmental protection and conservation into your peacebuilding efforts or even launch our own initiative for environmental peacebuilding. Together, we can leverage the power of environmental protection to build a more peaceful, just world for all.
If you found this article helpful and want to find more blog posts like this mapping organizations that build peace across a wide array of themes be sure to check out our Resources page!
If there are any great environmental peacebuilding organizations that is missing on this list and you think it should be added, please submit it at the link HERE. I periodically update my resource posts and use these inputs to help me. Thanks in advance!
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