2025 in numbers

Total peacebuilding organisations supported
more

PARTNERS

MICROGRANTEES

OTHER SUPPORT

many more peacebuilders supported by our partners!
For example, our partners in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar distributed 110 small grants to grassroots peacebuilders in 2025.

We supported peacebuilders in:

COUNTRIES

PARTNERS

12 countries

MICROGRANTS

26 countries‍

areas of work

Strengthening civil society ecosystems

Peacebuilding in restricted civic spaces

Community-based conflict resolution & violence prevention

Social cohesion

Early Warning & Early Response

Youth inclusion & participation

Women’s empowerment, inclusion, leadership

Countering gender-based violence

Humanitarian emergency response

Livelihoods support

Mental health & Trauma-informed peacebuilding

Total funding to peacebuilders in 2025:

2,580,999

GBP

Partner Organisations
GBP 2,381,413,366

We distributed nearly GBP 2.5 million to our 28 local partners.

MICROGRANTS

Microgrants through Peace Starts Here campaign totalled $145,000, while our partners in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar themselves distributed 110 grants worth over $321,063.70 USD.

EMERGENCY FUNDING
GBP 317,366

We gave over GBP 300,00 in emergency grants, including for local humanitarian response, safety or protection, and as solidarity grants in response to the sudden USAID cuts.

Foreword

2025 will be remembered as the year when the international aid system came crashing down. The wilful destruction of USAID was followed by sweeping cuts to overseas aid by governments across Europe. Some peacebuilders had 70% of their funding stripped away overnight.

But the need for peacebuilding didn’t disappear with the money. Far from it. Which is why, in 2025, we supported 76 local peacebuilding organisations across 33 different countries, the highest number in almost five years.

Our partners saved lives, bridged divides and prevented violence every day. They amplified young women’s voices in peace processes, delivered lifesaving care, created community-based justice approaches that ended cycles of conflict, and more. But they seldom have the chance to tell their stories.

So, as we confront the division being sown by right wing populists and powerful governments in 2026, we look to the stories that don’t make the headlines. Stories of hope, community, and a relentless commitment to peace. Join us. Their work needs your support.

Dylan Mathews,
CEO of Peace Direct

The real peacemakers of 2025

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? In 2025, even the US President tried to claim the title. We think that building lasting peace doesn’t mean airstrikes or real estate proposals, but working tirelessly, with care, love and patience to support your community, saving lives and ending cycles of violence.

So, we’d like to introduce the real peacemakers of 2025: local people whose work ranged from supporting women’s inclusion and empowerment in Afghanistan, to bringing lifesaving care to isolated communities in Myanmar. One partner, Adeela, contributed directly to the lifesaving humanitarian work of the Emergency Response Rooms in Sudan, which were even nominated for that coveted Nobel Peace Prize.

Learn more about their work below.

CASE STUDY

Bridging divides:
Women helping women in Myanmar

Our partner brought together women who had never before been able to cross ethnic divides. Not only have the women found common ground, they have supported each other through danger, and created an informal warning system when violence is brewing.

+ Learn more

In Rakhine State, one of Myanmar's most conflict-affected regions, women from different ethnic communities rarely spoke to one another without permission from their husbands or community leaders. Hate speech, propaganda and rumours kept neighbours strangers, and in a place where violence was always close to the surface, that mistrust had real consequences.

One of our local partners saw an opportunity to change that. By bringing together a diverse group of women from across the region's ethnic communities, they created something simple but radical: a regular, safe space to talk. Care was taken to ensure every woman, regardless of her background, felt genuinely welcome. Slowly – through shared conversation about the challenges they all faced – respect, trust and friendship began to grow.

When armed confrontations between the army and rebel forces made it too dangerous for the group's Rohingya members to leave their homes, the other women didn't wait to be asked for help. They went to the market and bought sanitary pads, medicine and food, and made sure it reached their friends.

As the bonds between the women deepened, their group quietly became something more: an informal early warning network, with members sharing information about potential outbreaks of violence before they could escalate.

What began as a series of meetings grew into a community, and a lifeline.

CASE STUDY

Saving lives:
Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms

Our partner Adeela is changing what crisis response can look like in Sudan with a network of community-driven initiatives, from community kitchens to mobile health convoys. This Emergency Response Room initiative – nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize – saw Adeela feed 12,000 people daily in community kitchens in El Fasher, and much more.

+ Learn more

Sudan is living through one of the world's worst, and least reported, humanitarian crises. As conflict forces millions from their homes, the international response has struggled to keep pace. In eastern Sudan, where displaced people are crowded into overwhelmed host communities, the pressure is acute: disease, tension and scarcity make a volatile combination.

But in the absence of adequate outside help, communities are coming together.

Adeela, a youth-led organisation dedicated to peace, social justice and human rights, has helped* build a network of Emergency Response Rooms – ERRs – that are changing what crisis response can look like. Independent of formal donors and international agencies, the ERRs run on something simpler and more powerful: community.

From mobile health convoys to community kitchens, the solutions are practical, local and shaped by the people who need them most. That last part matters enormously. Unlike traditional humanitarian models where aid can arrive pre-packaged and disconnected from local realities, the ERR approach puts communities in the driving seat at every stage. No one-size-fits-all templates. No delivering beans without asking what people actually need.

This isn't just more respectful. It's more effective. By involving both displaced people and host communities in defining priorities, the ERRs actively reduce the tensions that poorly coordinated aid can inadvertently stoke.

Women-led ERRs have been especially vital – coordinating kitchens, organising grassroots initiatives, and shining a light on the disproportionate burden that displacement places on women, including the systemic violence they too often face.

The ERRs are proof of something important: that local, community-rooted organisations aren't just capable first responders. They can be architects of recovery and of peace.

*Adeela worked with Elayam Centre, another local organisation, in activating these ERRs.

CASE STUDY

Preventing violence:
Super Peace Courts in DRC

In DRC, FOCHI's pioneering 'Super Peace Courts' are bringing potentially deadly conflicts to the table and resolving them. In 2025, these courts addressed 17 collective conflicts which had been affecting 6,900 households.

+ Learn more

In Uvira, eastern DRC, disputes over land can turn deadly. For years, violent clashes between farmers and herders have torn communities apart, with no reliable justice system to turn to for resolution. That's where our partner FOCHI stepped in.In Rakhine State, one of Myanmar's most conflict-affected regions, women from different ethnic communities rarely spoke to one another without permission from their husbands or community leaders. Hate speech, propaganda and rumours kept neighbours strangers, and in a place where violence was always close to the surface, that mistrust had real consequences.

FOCHI has spent years building trust on the ground, establishing 76 Peace Courts across the region – local, accessible spaces where communities can find a way through their grievances. These courts have quietly become the go-to mechanism for resolving disputes before they escalate into violence.One of our local partners saw an opportunity to change that. By bringing together a diverse group of women from across the region's ethnic communities, they created something simple but radical: a regular, safe space to talk. Care was taken to ensure every woman, regardless of her background, felt genuinely welcome. Slowly – through shared conversation about the challenges they all faced – respect, trust and friendship began to grow.

But some conflicts run deeper. Tensions between powerful families, rival community leaders, or groups competing for land can quickly spiral beyond what a local court can contain. So FOCHI went further and launched three pioneering 'Super Peace Courts' in Uvira.

What makes these courts different isn't just their reach, it's their philosophy. There are no punishments here, no winners and losers. Instead, 30 skilled mediators – ten per court – bring together activists, community members, police, and local government officials around a different kind of table: one built on dialogue, dignity, and reconciliation.

The results speak for themselves. When simmering tensions between the ruling families of Kyali and Nyamukanza villages threatened to boil over, a Super Peace Court stepped in and the crisis was defused. Across all three courts, land-related conflicts that once risked turning violent have been met with skilled, patient mediation instead.

“If I continue to do the work I do, I might die. But if I don’t do this work and I see what happens to my people and my country, I will die every day.”

Local Peacebuilder speaking at Peace Connect.

Our peacebuilding partners in 2025

*some of our partners aren’t listed here for their safety.

Partner(s)

Micrograntee(s)

Afghanistan

X Number

Grants provided to 33 women-led organisations; humanitarian support to 1315 families; $18.8k to 15 self-help groups

Show Projects

Zimbabwe

Empowered 60 local Women Peace Champions

Partners: CCMT, Envision

Stories: Protecting people and planet

Syria

Supported 192 children and parents to access education; food baskets to 100 families; facilitated 15 training sessions.

Partners: Child Guardians, Swaadna AlSouriya Organization, Zoom In + 1 micrograntee

Stories: Supporting Syrian schoolchildren; Feeding a city in crisis; Building Salwa’s self-esteem

Sudan

Fed 12,000 people daily in community kitchens in El Fasher; provided 25 microgrants totalling $28k across 10 states to grassroots peacebuilders

Partners: Adeela, Framework Mechanisms
+ 2 micrograntees

Stories: Networking for peace; Emergency response in Sudan

Palestine

Meet our new partner, Dalia Association

Partner: Dalia Association

Pakistan

Established peer-to-peer mentorship; hosted National Youth Peace Festival; helped restore water access.

Partners: CDA, HIVE

Stories: Pakistan’s peacebuilding youth; Avoiding water conflicts

Nigeria

reached 850+ people; tackled gender-based violence

Partners: LEGASI, Peace Initiative Network (PIN)
+ 4 micrograntees

Stories: Livelihood and leadership; Ending inter-religious violence

Myanmar

€80,000 to network distributing essential humanitarian support; tackled misinformation; bridged ethnic divides

Partners: 5 anonymous peacebuilding groups

Stories: A grassroots youth movement; Community solidarity post-earthquake; Healing division; Fighting misinformation; Women supporting women; Keeping civilians safe and informed

Mali

Organised 17 regional dialogues leading to 28 grassroots initiatives; established Community Citizen Centres.

Partner: AJCAD + 2 Micrograntees

Stories: Mali’s youth leaders; Collective voices;

Burundi

Lorem Ipsum

Partners: Anonymous partner

Afghanistan

Grants provided to 33 women-led organisations; humanitarian support to 1315 families; $18.8k to 15 self-help groups.

Partners: Anonymous partner+ 1 Micrograntee

Stories: Grandmother Groups; Women’s Self-Help Groups

Colombia

Convinced government to create Social Service for Peace; launched Champions of Respect, Scorers of Peace campaign; brought 22 young people together to begin creating Observatory for Peace and Youth Disarmament

Partners: Agenda Joven, Justapaz, Redepaz
+ 1 Micrograntee

Stories: Soccer, social media and solidarity; Hope over guns

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Addressed 17 conflicts affecting 6,900 households; 40% rise in community use of early warning system; supported 225 other local peace actors; organised peace forum; food kits and financial support to 50 households during Goma crisis

Partners: Beni Peace Forum, Bureau de Soutien, Centre Resolution Conflicts, FOCHI, NPCYP + 4 micrograntees

Stories: Early warning and women’s inclusion; Amplifying local voices; Extending a helping hand; Reconciliation over retribution; Advocating for peace; Building bridges

Peru

Armenia

Kenya

Peru

Azerbaijan

Peru

Georgia

Peru

Azerbaijan

Peru

Venezuela

Honduras

Columbia

DISCOVER ALL THE STORIES OF IMPACT FROM 2025

Our new strategy for peace

Power, Voice, Visibility, Resilience & Adaptability

In May 2025, we published Peace Direct’s new ten-year strategy. We worked with staff, partners, our Board and our Global Advisory Council, and developed . These discussions resulted in a strategy that prioritises:

Long-term thinking:

A ten-year strategy recognises that peace is a process that requires time and patience.

Integration:

the structure of the new strategy reduces silo working and ensures that all staff can contribute to each goal.

Shifting the power:

the strategy’s goals focus on amplifying the voice, visibility and power of local actors.

Our Four Goals

Power

Power in the peacebuilding and wider system shifts to local actors.

Resilience & Adaptability

Local peacebuilders and Peace Direct are more effective and resilient, able to adapt to adversity and have greater collective agency to contribute to sustainable peace.

Voice

The voices of local peacebuilders will be consistently heard and respected in the corridors of power, across the sector and among their own communities, supported by a strong consistent voice from Peace Direct.

Visibility

Local peacebuilders, Peace Direct and peacebuilding as an issue will have greater visibility and global understanding, to generate increased support for this work.

Power

Power in the peacebuilding and wider system shifts to local actors.

Resilience & Adaptability

Local peacebuilders and Peace Direct are more effective and resilient, able to adapt to adversity and have greater collective agency to contribute to sustainable peace.

Voice

Visibility

Local peacebuilders, Peace Direct and peacebuilding as an issue will have greater visibility and global understanding, to generate increased support for this work.

Power

Peace Connect

In October 2025, 563 peacebuilders began the journey to Nairobi, Kenya, from 88 countries across the Global South. Their destination? Peace Connect, a first-of-its-kind gathering bringing together hundreds of peacebuilders, co-hosted by Peace Direct and IPHRD-Africa. At this groundbreaking five-day event, we created space for peace actors to think collectively, reflect, rest, and explore what peacebuilding looks like in today’s uncertain world.

“Peace Connect doesn’t end here – we are carrying the spirit of peace”

What made Peace Connect different? The agenda was designed and led by participants on topics that truly mattered to them. One participant described it as “the most incredible gathering I’ve been a part of”.

Here's your caption

Through discussions, workshops, art, poetry, and a focus on wellbeing and reflection, Peace Connect provided a much-needed and all-too-rare space to build community and solidarity, learn, and facilitate collaborative action, analysis and alliances – but also to simply reflect, slow down, create, rest, and recharge.

The peacebuilders’ reflections highlighted how they will carry the momentum of Peace Connect back to their own organisations and contexts.

They described their commitment to strengthening cross-border solidarity networks, practising more intentional care and wellbeing in their organisations, using creative approaches to tell stories safely and powerfully, continuing to challenge tokenism (particularly of women and youth), and exploring alternative or community-based resourcing models.
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94%

said they had established new connections or strengthened existing ones during Peace Connect, while

83%

said they had established new connections or strengthened existing ones during Peace Connect, while

People taking part praised the atmosphere of solidarity, wellbeing and global connection, and several expressed a strong desire for a repeat event. Peace Connect made a tangible contribution to one of Peace Direct’s strategic goals – power – by supporting local peacebuilders to create and claim space in the peacebuilding system, through their own convenings and networking. It also created a foundation to move forwards. The values that grounded the week – dignity, solidarity, care, humility and justice – will continue to guide our work ahead.
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“The gathering deeply strengthened my perspective on shifting power to local peacebuilders. I realised how essential it is to recognise and trust the expertise of those who live and work within conflict-affected communities. Local actors understand the realities, risks, and cultural dynamics better than anyone else. Empowering them with resources, visibility, and decision-making authority is not only fair but also key to achieving sustainable peace and inclusive development”

Local Peacebuilder from the DRC

“It wasn't all easy: there were plenty of challenges raised and it is clear that the needs are relentless within a context of dwindling resources. And yet, despite this reality, solidarity, innovation, and radical hope were so present at Peace Connect.”

LinkedInPost – Funder

"I am taking away deep insights on inclusive and community-led peacebuilding, and the vital role of women and youth in leading these efforts. The conversations around Indigenous wisdom and respect for local cultural peace practices were especially meaningful."

Local Peacebuilder from India

Wellbeing takes centre stage at Peace Connect

We made wellbeing a central theme of Peace Connect - a ‘gamechanger’ according to participants.

A central theme of Peace Connect was participants’ wellbeing. Our goal was for everyone who attended the gathering to come away feeling that their wellbeing, and their mental health and psychological needs, had been strengthened – rather than weakened. We also wanted Peace Connect to convey an important message: that prioritising mental health is essential for sustained peacebuilding practice.

To do this, we curated dedicated spaces such as the Wellbeing Room and Quiet Room, alongside sessions reinforcing the importance of wellbeing. We introduced a rest day in the middle of the week – ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ – which was a deliberate departure from conventional convening formats.
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"The one free day in the middle of the week was a game changer."

Peace Connect participant

There was a dedicated safeguarding team on hand each day, and 91% of respondents reported feeling safe and supported throughout the week. A counselling service was also present, with therapists speaking a wide range of languages; the service was booked almost continuously.

Morning runs, tai chi, music and dance sessions, and dedicated time for arts and crafts also provided peacebuilders with opportunities to decompress and forge connections.

Many participants noted that it was the first time their wellbeing had been prioritised in this way in a professional setting – a focus they widely appreciated. The emphasis on wellbeing was rated 4/5 by 83% of peacebuilders (and 54% rated it 5/5).
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“The #PeaceConnect gathering in Nairobi was a powerful reminder of what peacebuilding can be when it is rooted in solidarity, care, and creativity”

Conducive Space for Peace

Insights from Peace Connect

Across the 60 sessions convened and hosted by peacebuilders, we captured a wealth of insights through conversations, individual and group reflections, session notes and surveys.

Across the 60 sessions convened and hosted by peacebuilders, we captured a wealth of insights through conversations, individual and group reflections, session notes and surveys.
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We compiled a reflections report, grouping the insights into five themes:

1. The peacebuilding landscape and structural conditions
Many people discussed the challenges of current funding, and suggested moving away from traditional grants towards community-led approaches - like social enterprises and mutual aid networks - as a more sustainable alternative.

2. Connection, solidarity and collective power
Participants spoke about the need for peace work grounded in relationships and care. They felt this was vital for relational, inclusive, care-centred forms of leadership that help communities organise more effectively.

3. Transforming power and systems
Peacebuilders questioned assumptions about who has expertise and authority. They shared examples of how Indigenous peace practices, ecological stewardship, ancestral justice mechanisms and community-led accountability systems continue to be marginalised in global frameworks despite generations of evidence.

4. Emerging and evolving peacebuilding approaches
In youth-led spaces, participants challenged tokenism and affirmed youth leadership as essential rather than symbolic. They emphasised the need for practices that weave intergenerational wisdom and innovation.

5. Looking ahead: Values, learning and commitments
In all of the reflections, hope emerged as a deliberate strategy, with participants highlighting the importance of deep listening, shared reflection and continuous learning.

Read the full reflections report for a deeper dive into the insights gathered at Peace Connect.

“Our survival is also our resistance and resilience.”

Peace Connect participant.

“One important lesson was the value of creating safe spaces where people especially women and youth facing exclusion can share openly and feel supported.”

Participant from Afghanistan, survey response.

"Acting together...connectivity is a key tool to fight injustice"

Participant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, survey response.

Decolonisation conversations led by Global South actors

In 2025, we supported Latin American platform AcaPaca in their efforts to rethink how our sector should work.

At Peace Direct, we believe that people in the Global South should shape discussions about the future of international development. We are here as a partner, not a leader.

In June, our Policy and Partnerships Officer headed to Bogotá, Colombia, for the second Forum on Decolonising International Cooperation in Latin America. This forum brought together 300 organisations - including civil society groups, social movements, academics, funders and other stakeholders to rethink how international cooperation should work, around principles of feminism, equality and decoloniality. The event was co-led by AcaPaca, a platform of Latin American social movements that promote international cooperation.

Attendees took part in panels and small group discussions, working through a draft framework for a new approach to international cooperation that had been developed by AcaPaca and other convening organisations. The group included unions and activist collectives, infusing the space with a radical, justice-oriented energy. The presence of Indigenous groups was also notable.

Other Global North organisations were there too, but many others gave themselves roles without being asked, or didn’t engage meaningfully.

Peace Direct’s approach was different. We were there because of our long-standing relationship with AcaPaca, built over time and rooted in active listening and respectful engagement. As AcaPaca’s partner, we follow their lead, showing up not to steer the process but to support it, through thought partnership, logistical assistance and administrative support.

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Resilience & Adaptability

Local First

An illustration of community kitchens in Sudan, by our partner Adeela.

Our Local First project embodies Peace Direct’s goal of transferring control to local peacebuilders. The project strives to secure better resourcing, recognition and support from the international community for local peacebuilding efforts in four countries – improving the prospects for sustainable peace.

In 2025, we saw the crucial impacts of our partners’ work in Afghanistan, DRC, Mali and Sudan. As well as supporting our six partners to lead peacebuilding activities, Local First also helped our partners - and the wider network of organisations they work in - become stronger and better able to meet challenges. strengthened the resilience of both partners and the wider civil society ecosystems in their contexts.

Through Local First, our partners were able to:

1,315

Our partner in Afghanistan delivered humanitarian support to 1,315 families across three provinces.

12,000

In Sudan, Adeela maintained community kitchens serving approximately 12,000 people daily in El Fasher, four kitchens in vulnerable neighbourhoods of Dilling, and one serving hospitals in Kadugli.

$28,000

In Sudan, Adeela supported grassroots peacebuilding through 25 micro-grants to local initiatives across 10 Sudanese states plus Cairo and Kampala, totalling over USD 28,000.

28 CSOs

In Afghanistan, our partner distributed flexible grants to a total of 28 civil society organisations (representing USD 82,500).

$18,750

Through their Self-Help Groups microgrant system, our partner in Afghanistan distributed USD 18,750 in the first round of funding to 15 Self Help Groups.

28 Initiatives

AJCAD held 17 regional dialogues with CLAC leaders and local authorities, including traditional chiefs. These led to 28 different local initiatives on mediation and conflict management.

Through Local First, our partners were able to:

Increase their responsiveness to evolving conflicts and community needs.

In Eastern DRC, our partner Beni Peace Forum (BPF) strengthened its Early Warning, Early Response mechanism, helping to prevent the escalation of incidents between warring community groups in Beni. BPF also reported increased confidence in the alert systems, with a 40% rise in community reports compared to the previous period.

Become stronger and more resilient.

In 2025, our partner AJCAD in Mali convened 17 Citizen Action Club (CLAC) regional dialogues with CLAC leaders and one national forum for peacebuilders. AJCAD has emerged as one of the loudest voices in Malian civil society, and a champion for the hundreds of smaller networks that depend on more established groups to make themselves heard.

Connect with other local peacebuilders, resulting in increased collective deliberations, decision-making and action.

Our partner in Sudan, Adeela, provides office space in Kampala to enable civil society networks to continue to operate, and 12 organisations and initiatives use this space monthly. Adeela also launched a microgrant facility to support grassroots civil society initiatives that were directly affected by US funding cuts.

Increase their participation in local, national and international peacebuilding efforts.

In Afghanistan, our partner provided flexible grants to a total of 33 women-led organisations. They also supported self-help groups that focus on women’s economic inclusion and empowerment, while giving them a space to build solidarity and mutual support links.

Our partners: saving lives through crisis response

Local peacebuilders are lifelines in times of crisis. In 2025, they led humanitarian support for civilians affected by conflict in Sudan, Myanmar, and beyond.

In times of crisis, our partners are often the first responders. We provide them with rapid emergency funds, so they can respond quickly and effectively to meet their own needs and support their communities.

In Sudan, a devastating civil war has left millions in urgent need. The situation has been made worse by major donors withdrawing their support, leaving grassroots peacebuilders without resources. In response, local organisations are supporting community initiatives to meet urgent humanitarian needs and lay the groundwork for sustainable peace.

With support from Peace Direct, Adeela and the Elayam Centre activated Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs). Operating independently of formal donors and international agencies, the ERRs focus on practical, community-driven solutions, such as establishing communal kitchens and deploying mobile health convoys - meeting people where they are with essential health care. These ERRs were nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, demonstrating the profound importance of locally led responses.

Community organisations play a crucial role in providing support and resources to those affected by disasters. They coordinate efforts to distribute essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to the victims. Additionally, our people work tirelessly to ensure accurate information reaches affected communities.

Local peacebuilder.

In March 2025, Myanmar was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed and injured thousands. Local peacebuilders were the first to respond, reaching communities that international organisations couldn’t access and providing support that international governments failed to deliver. Peace Direct supported a network of local community groups with GBP 114,000 in emergency grants, enabling them to provide humanitarian relief – including food, water, hygiene kits, mosquito nets and blankets. The groups also assisted with the removal of bodies and dignified burials, as well as offering counselling to survivors.

Small grants, big impact

Big change doesn’t just come through big organisations, or big pots of money. In 2025, our partners shared funding with small, grassroots peacebuilders whose innovative solutions have had a big impact.

There is a growing body of evidence that providing small and flexible grants to local peacebuilders can yield significant peace results. At Peace Direct, we support grassroots peacebuilding initiatives with small grants that, unlike traditional funding models, enable our partners to respond quickly and without limitations to the needs of their communities.
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Local Action Fund

Since 2019, the Local Action Fund (LAF) – which is co-designed and led by partners in nine countries – has awarded more than 700 small grants (ranging from USD5,000 to USD15,000) to diverse grassroots peacebuilders across 9 countries, totally USD 2.3 million in grants. This financial support is coupled with training, information sharing, and opportunities for wider collaboration and advocacy.

In 2025, our partners in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar regranted USD321,063 in 110 small grants to local peacebuilders, supporting a wide range of peace interventions. For example, hub partners in Myanmar funded grassroots groups to lead nonviolent civic moments that sought to promote democratic change.
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Peace Starts Here

As part of our Peace Starts Here campaign, Peace Direct initiated a small grants programme for local peacebuilding initiatives that would otherwise struggle to access resources and support. 38 microgrants, totalling USD145,000, were given to organisations in 26 countries.

These initiatives ranged from protecting civilians and fostering reconciliation in the DRC, to amplifying young women’s voices in Sudan’s peace process. The 38 grantees also joined a peer-to-peer learning platform that enables mutual support, mentoring and knowledge exchange.
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Solidarity grants

Small, flexible grants can be lifelines in emergency moments – ensuring peacebuilders can shift gears to deliver humanitarian support when disaster strikes, keeping them safe to build peace when their own lives are threatened, and preventing their work from collapse when funds are ripped away.

In 2025, we gave out GBP 315,366 in emergency funding. Of this, we distributed GBP 77,000 to 6 local partners in response to the sudden, devastating USAID cuts that threatened their operations. These grants were unrestricted, meaning our partners could use them however they needed to, to make sure they could keep building lasting peace, regardless of the whims or trends of international funders – or billionaires.

"The microgrants process embodied thoughtfulness, empathy, trust, partnership-building, and collaboration. It became a living example of why the campaign exists in the first place."

Grace, campaign co-creator and peacebuilder, Kenya.

Building civil society resilience in Syria

Child Guardians, one of our partners in Syria, has led a project to strengthen Syrian civil society in the midst of the historic fall of Assad.

With Peace Direct’s support, our partner Child Guardians continued to strengthen the network of organisations working together to build peace in northern Syria. This work is taking place against the backdrop of one of the most important moments in the country’s history: the unexpected collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.

Child Guardians works with eight civil society organisations to strengthen the skills and knowledge of the organisations and their members, and to facilitate connections – among the organisations themselves and also with local authorities to support coordinated advocacy. This has already led to concrete outcomes.

For example, the Association of Parents of Children With Disabilities developed a joint recommendation paper on the provision of summer educational programmes, which they presented to the Directorate of Education.

And, following a series of targeted outreach and expansion activities to grow their membership base, four of the organisations saw increases in both the number of board and overall members, with overall membership almost doubling.

"International aid is depleting… Local communities should be considered co-funders for the projects they are supposed to benefit from, given their vast experience and resources."

Participant from Zimbabwe.

AJCAD, Mali, 2022 - Supporting displaced people following attacks on their village

Educate, Honduras - children painting a peace mural

Child Peace Movement Council, Philippines - psychosocial support initiatives

Wilmat Development Foundation, Uganda

Myanmar flooding - yves alarie via unsplash

Voice

Peacebuilders heard in halls of power

Partners from Pakistan visited London to speak to Westminster policymakers in 2025.

In 2025, Peace Direct continued to advocate for local peacebuilders to be given the recognition they deserve – from ensuring their voices are heard in international forums to increasing investment in their work.

We’ve sat beside our partners and other peacebuilders at the UN, with UK Members of Parliament, EU officials and in the halls of US Congress. In 2025, Peace Direct directly supported four partners from the DRC, Myanmar and Pakistan to join the annual CSO-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding in Geneva – a critical achievement, given that this is a space where local peacebuilders’ voices are rarely heard.

We also worked with the four partners to co-lead an event with the UN Peacebuilding Support Office on measuring peacebuilding, and supported Afghan women to advocate at the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Every time, we’ve ensured people with power are listening to peacebuilders, and backed them up every step of the way.

As well as supporting local peacebuilders to speak truth to power, we’ve increased Peace Direct’s influence on power-holders around the world.

We strengthened our partnership with the United Nations Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office, which has enabled us to meaningfully influence peacebuilding agendas, such as the CSO-UN Dialogue and the Impact Hub – a newly established UN platform aimed at advancing peacebuilding practice. Peace Direct has also been invited to join the Hub’s Reference Group to help guide the platform’s development.

We co-organised the Stand with Civil Society campaign in June 2025, in response to sweeping funding cuts across the globe. Through an open letter – which has received more than 750 signatures – global civil society organisations and peacebuilders made an urgent call to funders and policymakers, calling for support, solidarity and systems change. The letter encouraged collective action to strengthen the resilience and effectiveness of local civil society.

And we published Decolonising Philanthropy, which documents insights and recommendations shared by 197 consultation participants on how philanthropy can become more equitable and effective in supporting local civil society.

Young peacebuilders in Mali find solidarity

In Mali, our partner AJCAD organised a National Forum for Youth and Women, exploring the roles of women and young people in advocacy and leadership.

The forum gave young peacebuilders the chance to come together, share experiences and find solidarity. In a context of increasing repression of civic space, creating opportunities for dialogue of this kind is a bold – and rare – move.

Participants came from across Mali, including AJCAD volunteers, people working in civil society and traditional leaders. The forum provided a platform for young peacebuilders to express their concerns and expectations to the Malian government and the international community. AJCAD used the gathering to directly address ongoing peace processes in Mali, while other peace leaders shared their recommendations with government representatives on how women and young people could be better included in peace processes.

Peacebuilders listed key recommendations for AJCAD to take forward, focused mainly on the inclusion of young people, women and people with disabilities in peace processes. The forum also received national media attention and increased the visibility of both AJCAD and its partners. Two Peace Direct staff members travelled to Mali to join and support the forum, including speaking on the opening panel to share how we work with AJCAD.

In consultation: local peacebuilders respond to funding cuts

When funding cuts hit our sector in early 2025, local voices were missing in conversations about the future. We facilitated a consultation for hundreds of local peacebuilders to safely share the impact of these cuts, and what they believed should happen next.

In early 2025, the peacebuilding sector was shaken by sweeping funding cuts to international development and cooperation. This included the effective dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a £6.1 billion cut to UK foreign aid, and reductions across European countries such as Germany, France and Sweden.

This sudden halt to funding created global shockwaves. But local peacebuilders are already taking steps to protect their work and secure their futures. In September 2025, Peace Direct brought people together on our bespoke platform, Platform4Dialogue, to identify opportunities to transform the international development, humanitarian and peacebuilding system as it currently is.

We spoke to hundreds of organisations and community leaders to find out how they’ve been adapting, and how their voices can contribute to the international policies that impact them. The consultation had 400 participants from 70 countries – the most attendees ever to join a Peace Direct consultation.

This discussion was supplemented by an in-person validation workshop during Peace Connect in October 2025, an online discussion hosted by the Permanent Forum for Latin America, and several case studies of like-minded networks and allies. We will soon publish the key findings and recommendations from all of these in a new report, The Future of International Cooperation.

“The funding cuts […] pushed us to rediscover indigenous resilience methods and to deepen South-South cooperation. We found unexpected opportunities to build more horizontal partnerships with peer organisations, which felt less extractive and more reciprocal compared to traditional Global North-Global South relationships.”

Consultation participant.

A collaborative response to escalating violence in DRC

When violence dramatically escalated in DRC in early 2025, we worked closely with our local partners to ensure their voices were heard by UN and UK officials.

Violence escalated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the start of 2025, fuelled by the resurgence of the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group. Despite the escalating conflict, the DRC continues to receive limited attention from global and UK policymakers, making it one of the world’s most neglected crises. Local civil society organisations also lack direct channels to engage with international policymakers.

In collaboration with our DRC partners Beni Peace Forum and Centre Resolution Conflits (CRC), we built and strengthened relationships with key policy influencers in the UK, and conducted outreach within the international NGO community, while also supporting our partners to develop their own connections. This included co-hosting an INGO learning webinar with Women for Women, ActionAid and Oxfam in August 2025 to share local voices from DRC, with our partner CRC joining the panel.

We partially funded an advocacy visit by our DRC partner the National Partnership of Children and Youth in Peacebuilding (NPCYP) to the United Nations General Assembly, as well as setting up meetings between NPCYP and member states, the Peacebuilding Fund and the Peacebuilding Support Office.

Peace Direct also published a statement calling for the international community to advance peace, justice and accountability in eastern DRC.

AJCAD showing Peace Direct staff the conditions at a local camp for internally displaced persons

Peace Direct staff with partners from AJCAD in Mali, 2025

AJCAD_s forum for youth and women peacebuilders

Visibility

Peace Starts Here

Seven of the Peace Starts Here co-creators at Shift the Power in December 2023.

The work of local peacebuilders is scarcely reported, and almost always under-resourced. We want to change that, so we’ve supported local peacebuilders to launch a global campaign.

For the past three years, Peace Direct has facilitated a cohort of local peacebuilders from around the world to create Peace Starts Here.

“This campaign is relevant, necessary, and powerful. It has a huge role in breaking the wall that separates activists and much-needed support.”

Anna, campaign co-creator and peacebuilder.

This campaign aims to give local peacebuilders the visibility they deserve, striving for a world where peacebuilding is locally led and globally championed. Peace Starts here celebrates the efforts of local peacebuilders. It also seeks change, to ensure local peacebuilders are better recognised and supported, so that the peace they build can last.

Over 1500 people have joined the campaign. In 2025, the campaign culminated in the emergence of a wider network across 26 countries, amplifying local ownership and offering resources for peacebuilding efforts and collective action.

Peace Direct facilitated the campaign creation phase, sending out a call for applicants – which attracted 700 local peacebuilders – and selecting ten co-creators from across the Global South. These ten co-creators have worked with two key staff members at Peace Direct, who have ensured Peace Starts Here’s needs are met.

Through months of deep exploration and open conversation, this group developed the campaign’s identity, narrative and vision. They chose to centre the campaign on a manifesto – signed by more than 1,600 people across the globe and incorporated into advocacy campaigns – with five clear asks:
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Make space for local peacebuilders to lead.

Fund more local peacebuilding efforts.

Support and strengthen local peacebuilders.

Centre peacebuilding around local people.

Learn from local peacebuilders.

The co-creators also launched The Real Stories of Peace, an online and in-person collective space for peacebuilders to share their experiences. And in 2025, Peace Starts Here also supported 38 peacebuilding organisations across 26 countries with microgrants, as well as mentoring and knowledge exchange through a peer-to-peer learning platform.

Peace Direct will be less involved moving forward, handing the campaign over fully to its owners. The co-creators are committed to growing the movement, and Peace Direct aims to financially support Peace Starts Here until the end of 2030. We’ve also woven the lessons we’ve learned from this co-creation process into our strategy, operations and partnerships, as we continue to build an environment where local peacebuilders can shape global peacebuilding together.
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Telling Real Stories of Peace

The Peace Starts Here campaign has showcased the incredible work of peacebuilders globally, bringing their stories to tens of thousands of people from 158 countries.

Ensuring that local peacebuilders get the visibility and recognition they deserve is at the heart of Peace Direct’s mission. That’s why we supported local peacebuilders to create Peace Starts Here, a global campaign that showcases the work of local peacebuilders, and celebrates the effectiveness and necessity of local peacebuilding.

The co-creators launched The Real Stories of Peace – an online and in-person collective space for local peacebuilders to share their experiences.

From the story of Chakriya, who empowers grassroots women from diverse backgrounds in Cambodia, to the experiences of Luis, a young activist from Venezuela who strives to bring his community’s needs to the international scene, these 20 emotive narratives – gathered using an ethical consent-based process – were instrumental to the campaign’s collective impact.

And their voices have been heard: so far, people from 158 countries have read their stories 32,000 times.
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“One of the most rewarding aspects has been helping to share and amplify the voices of local peacebuilders, whose dedication continually inspires me.”

Le, Peace Starts Here campaign co-creator and peacebuilder, Cambodia

Portraits of the peacebuilders were displayed at our Peace Connect gathering in Nairobi in October 2025, drawing new audiences to the Real Stories of Peace campaign from the 550+ peacebuilders who attended. The stories also inspired storytelling workshops helping local peacebuilders boost their communications skills.

Building a movement for peace (public campaigning)

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Taking action for Syria

In 2025, Peace Direct worked with one of our Syrian partners, Child Guardians, on a different kind of fundraising appeal. We created a co-appeal, splitting the income 50/50 - a practice that is uncommon in our sector, but one we’re keen to build. Together, we raised £4,176 in just a few months.

In 2025, we worked with our partner Child Guardians to develop a fundraising co-appeal that supported both organisations’ fundraising efforts. We worked closely together for weeks to develop the core message behind the appeal, and create content that was useful for Child Guardians themselves, not just Peace Direct.

This may not sound radical. But while fundraising appeals are run by charities every day, local partners are rarely involved. And it is even rarer that the income is split 50/50. Building the appeal together, we also helped ensure the financial sustainability of Child Guardians, sharing our approaches to strengthen their independent fundraising efforts.

Majdi Bashimam, a child rights activist and Program Manager at Child Guardians, said: “One of the rare times I saw capacity building done properly was our fundraising systems project with Peace Direct at Child Guardians. This was a full year of continuous engagement. A whole year of constant follow-up, searching and answering the tiny questions that actually decide whether something works or collapses, building expertise from zero, testing different styles of support, sharing tools, access, and networks, sitting with a real expert […] They introduced us to a whole world of sustainable core financing opportunities, and […] made us see the system from a completely new point of view.”

This collaborative approach worked. We tripled our target of 1.5% engagement, achieving an average engagement rate of 4.5% of people interacting with the campaign content.

Supporters responded positively, with one commenting: “Got the latest appeal from this morning. I may be biased but I love how they are centering their partner, Child Guardians and being transparent about how the income is being split. Another step on the journey towards #decolonisingaid”.

The appeal itself raised £4,176 overall – a huge improvement on our first co-appeal, which raised 42% of the target. This income was split 50/50.

“The path of sustaining peace will be easier in partnership – so what are you waiting for?”

Participant of Peace Connect

PSH co-creators at the Shift the Power conference in 2023

Peace Connect

Credit Juan Felipe Rubio, Efeunodos, Shift the Power Summit 2023

10 Co-Creators - names and location

10 Co-Creators

Manifesto artivism World Social Forum 2024 in Kathmandu x Freedom Studio

Peace Starts Here

Lida - Belfast Conference

Build peace with us

You can support local peacebuilders, protecting their work to make sure peace lasts. Donate today, making a regular gift, or increase your month donation:

Donate here

If you're interested in making peace a part of your legacy, please get in touch with us about making a gift in your will.

Get in touch

Get in touch with us about any aspect of our work, or let us know what you thought of our report:

Get In Touch

Download (and share!) the highlights of this report as a PDF:

Download

Learn more about our work at

peacedirect.org

When companies choose peace

In 2025, a growing movement of values-driven businesses chose to stand alongside local peacebuilders and make a real difference.

Sustainable print company Teemill is helping us reach new audiences and generate vital income through our online store, where every purchase of a t-shirt translates into support for communities rebuilding after conflict. Meanwhile, a team from global financial firm Ebury laced up their running shoes and took to the streets, raising funds and awareness for the transformative power of local peacebuilding.

Ben & Jerry's, the iconic ice cream brand whose identity is built on "Peace, Love & Ice Cream", put those words into action by providing Peace Direct with flexible funding, supporting the work of local peacebuilders across the world.

And in one of her final acts of advocacy, the late Vivienne Westwood ensured her legacy would be one of action. The Vivienne Foundation chose Peace Direct as a partner for their first ever limited edition t-shirt campaign, channelling proceeds through their powerful "stop war" pillar of change.

These partnerships are proof that peace is not just possible, it is something businesses are actively choosing to invest in. To every partner named here, and to all those working with purpose and integrity to shift power to local communities: thank you. Together, we can build peace that lasts.

Acknowledgements

We exist to support local peacebuilding, and we are endlessly grateful for the incredible work our partners, and the wider ecosystem of local peacebuilders, do around the world.

We sincerely thank all of our supporters – from the members of the public to trusts, foundations and governments who put their faith in us. We are particularly grateful for the kindness of those who donate regularly, and to those who have remembered Peace Direct with a gift in their will, ensuring peace is possible in the years ahead. Thank you also to those who shopped on the Peace Direct store, not only contributing vital funds through kind purchases, but also showing solidarity with peacebuilders around the world by wearing the values that we share.

As in previous years, we would like to thank Google for providing us with a free advertising grant, which helps drive traffic to our website to increase the visibility of the work of local peacebuilders.

We’re grateful to the values-driven businesses who chose to partner with Peace Direct this year – Ben & Jerry’s, Teemill, Ebury, and The Vivienne Foundation. This was not just solidarity, but active, creative and tangible support.

Thanks to the designer of this report, Alexander Heming-Johnson.

Last but never least, Peace Direct’s staff, interns and Board should be recognised for their dedication and hard work to ensure that we advance in our mission every day. 2025 demanded considerable flexibility, effort and creativity, and the impact we made is the fruit of that.

Our funders in 2025

Alan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust

Blandford Lake Trust

Global Affairs Canada

Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

European Partnership for Responsible Minerals

Eva Reckitt Trust

Guernsey Overseas Aid

Harbinson Trust

Humanity United

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Jusaca Charitable Trust

J A Trust

LBM Jem Charitable Trust

Network for Social Change

Open Society Foundations

People’s Postcode Lottery

Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation

Rhododendron Trust

Robert Bosch Stiftung

Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Sir James Reckitt Charity

Sulney Fields Trust

William P Bancroft Charitable Trust

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We supported peacebuilders in:

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PEACE

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2025 Impact Report

Bridging divides: Women helping women in Myanmar

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Saving lives: Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms

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Preventing violence: Super Peace Courts in DRC

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Bridging divides:
Women helping women in Myanmar

Saving lives:
Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms

Preventing violence:
Super Peace Courts in DRC