Violent conflicts in our region interfere with the basic and interest of society. The leadership in the region must be committed to finding ways to help prevent them before they occur, and to prevent the costly human and material destruction wrought by such conflicts. Conflict mitigation entails developing conflict early warning and response mechanisms that are useful in detecting the potential for conflict and establishing effective ways of reducing its impact. Attention should be paid therefore to pre-conflict situations for prevention purposes as well as to post-conflict situations for peace building and transformation purposes.

Civil society organizations are increasingly being recognized by the government as potent forces for social and economic development; important partners in nation-building and national development; valuable forces in promoting the qualitative and quantitative development of democracy; and , not least, important contributors to GDP. Governments the world over are recognizing the need for themselves and civil societies to work together, especially in the area of peace building and conflict transformation.

SRIC is committed to participating and making an impact in this important area that contributes to general human security. The aim is to build sustainable partnerships between regional governments, the international communities, local communities and civil society organizations to strengthen peace building and conflict prevention initiatives.

Activities under this program include;

• Reconciliation efforts at grassroots, national and regional levels
• Research on the root-cause, levels, manifestations and impact of conflict. This helps to understand conflicts and the best way to resolve them.
• Peace building initiatives, including training and capacity building.
• Lobbying governments and other actors to address the negativity impacts of conflict.
• Developing and participation in conflict early warning and response mechanisms
• Building networks and partnership for peace