Our story

The Life & Peace Institute (LPI) is an international peacebuilding organization that works in partnership with civil society in nonviolent conflict transformation.

Our approach is based on an understanding that conflict is a natural part of societies, with the potential for both constructive and destructive change, and that peace can only be achieved through the active involvement of the people that are affected by the conflict, and that their voices and their actions matter. LPI promotes inclusive community-based peacebuilding processes, with a focus on youth and women.

LPI was founded in 1985 as a result of the Life & Peace Conference, a major international conference held in 1983 which was a response by the churches to the conflicts in the world. LPI’s principal aim is to support the work of local partners to enhance their capacity to build and maintain peace and to transform violent conflicts into peaceful coexistence. Recognising external influences also impact local dynamics and needs global action, LPI seeks to ensure that local perspectives are heard globally, and equally, that global processes are useful and relevant to local realities. As a learning organisation, LPI seeks to constantly learn, reflect and incorporate innovative solutions across all its activities. LPI co- operates with a wide variety of institutions ranging from academia, civil society and non-governmental organisations, to governmental bodies and inter-governmental organisations. 

The LPI story continues

With more than 35 years of field-tested experience, LPI has a network that spans the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region and Sweden. Today, we work in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sweden. This work is supported by offices in Nairobi (Kenya), Bukavu (DRC), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Uppsala (Sweden), with a team of over 60 professional and dedicated staff globally.

Violent conflict remains an everyday feature for millions of women, men, girls and boys in Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, DRC, Kenya, and the broader Horn of Africa Region. In our work, we observe different responses to violence. We continue to set out from the understanding that every day people hold the knowledge, expertise and capacity to address violent conflicts differently. Peace begins with people, and LPI’s work is geared to creating spaces and avenues for local people to transform their communities and societies towards inclusive peace.