Ben Miller, CDA, discusses the role of companies in peacebuilding, explains the difference between harm avoidance and conflict sensitivity, and elaborates on engaging the business sector in collaborative processes with peace as the goal.

There is little convincing evidence that business operations drive peace in conflict-affected countries. Miller emphasizes that companies can instead further trigger and drive conflict, as few companies understand how to operate in a conflict-sensitive manner. Business operations in capital intensive industries are primarily shaped by harm avoidance approaches, which do not provide effective conflict management. Can companies nevertheless contribute to peacebuilding in any way? And what would motivate them to do so? Miller highlights that companies that have entered into peace-oriented collaborations have done so because the presence of conflict or the absence of peace prevented them from engaging in their core business activities. Actors within the private sector can further take on essential roles when they catalyse and support the efforts of other actors within the peacebuilding architecture.