The Sustainable Peacebuilding Network (SPN) is an international research initiative involving more than 20 scholars examining the requirements for sustainable peace in countries emerging from civil wars. The project is co-sponsored by the University of Denver’s Center for Sustainable Development and International Peace and the University of Ottawa’s Centre for International Policy Studies.  It is supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Scholars and policymakers involved in this project will address a crucial, unresolved problem of peacebuilding: What are the key concepts, tools and strategies to achieve more “sustainable” outcomes in post-conflict peace operations? “Sustainability” refers not only to ensuing continued international attention and resources for countries in need, but also to creating the conditions for a durable peace that can last long after the termination of the initial peacebuilding mission.

The SPN is comprised of six working groups, each examining a different aspect of sustainable peacebuilding.  Some of the working groups focus on case studies of countries or regions that have hosted peacebuilding missions, and seek to identify the requirements for sustainable outcomes in those places.  Other groups examine the role of key international actors and institutions in contributing to sustainable peacebuilding. Each working group is comprised of a core group of scholars and/or policy practitioners who will each write an original paper for publication.  Drafts of these papers will be presented at workshops in the presence of a larger group of academics and policymakers, who will discuss the policy issues arising from the papers.