Karuna Center For Peacebuilding

In the time since Karuna Center began in 1994, our programs have directly engaged a wide range of stakeholders—from grassroots communities, to the halls of parliament. Our first programs addressed the Rwandan genocide and Bosnian War. We have since led training programs or multi-year projects in more than 30 conflict-affected countries—designing and implementing multi-year programs, leading peacebuilding trainings, and consulting on conflict analysis. Through dialogue and collaborative projects, we guide people who have been separated by violence or injustice to discover their common aspirations. We facilitate new alliances to advocate better violence prevention policy, bridge divides that threaten future stability, and promote more inclusive societies. Our structure is lean and nimble. With a small core staff, we facilitate a global network of skilled peacebuilding associates and partner organizations. We have particular expertise in intervening where relatively small-scale actions will have a powerful impact. Our network’s expertise ranges from building grassroots women’s peace leadership to facilitating intergovernmental peace processes. Our core staff’s enduring expertise in psychology and mediation allows us to facilitate in-depth collaborations and dialogues—and to consider psychological factors, such as trauma, that can drive violent conflict. We build the capacity of communities and societies to interrupt cycles of conflict, recognize shared needs, and prevent the spread of violent extremism in any form. We work with a wide range of people and organizations: religious leaders, government ministries, multi-lateral organizations, traditional community leadership, war-affected communities, and where appropriate, rebel groups. We conduct programs in all contexts where it is safe and effective to do so, from refugee camps to national ministries.