2011
Money Makers as Peace Makers? - The Role of Business in Conflict Zones
Private business actors can potentially contribute to post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding, while at the same time posing a risk to exacerbating violent conflict. The swisspeace Annual Conference 2011 brings together representatives from the private, public and non-governmental sectors to explore how business can engage in conflict transformation processes. In a keynote speech and on three panels, different questions will be discussed: What positive and negative roles can companies play in peace processes? What are the determinants, advantages or disadvantages of collective business action? How can voluntary business initiatives be integrated into broader peace building efforts? 
Conference Program

2010
Ballots or Bullets? The Potentials and Challenges of Elections in Conflict Contexts
Elections have become a core element of post-conflict peacebuilding. The goal is to legitimize governance and to promote stable democracy. However, empirical examples have shown that elections can also further or even cause renewed violence. Under which conditions elections are likely to contribute to peace or conflict?
Conference Paper

2009
Rebels with a Cause? Understanding and dealing with non-state armed groups during and after violent conflicts
Non-state armed groups play a central role in most violent conflicts all over the world, and their importance has risen sharply since the end of the Cold War. Understanding the origins, the functioning as well as the rationale of such groups is a particular challenge for both academics and practitioners. Whether or not these 'rebel' have a 'cause' to defend has been a constant object of debate.

2008
The Politics of Peace: From Ideology to Pragmatism?
The annual conference 2008 focused on the political and ideational context in which peacebuilding strategies are being developed by states and international organizations. It explored concrete topics and instruments used by these actors in peacebuilding strategies. What are the functions of states? Where does civil society or private firms come in? What will be the core issues of peacebuilding in 15 years? And how can research contribute? These were the key questions addressed by our international experts. 
order

2007
Environmental Peacebuilding: Managing Natural Resource Conflicts in a Changing World
Over the past decade, natural resources have attracted considerable attention as a source of violent conflicts worldwide. Drawing on four years of research conducted within the framework of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South, swisspeace invited international experts from the scientific and development communities to explore the links between renewable natural resources and conflicts. The conference also looked into challenges and best practices for the peaceful management of water and land in developing countries in Africa, South America and Central Asia.
Conference Paper

2006
Dealing with the Past in Post-Conflict Societies
Dealing with a legacy of human rights violations is one of the most difficult challenges facing any society in the aftermath of violent conflict. A decade after internationally mediated peace agreements ended wars in Guatemala and Bosnia-Herzegovina, both countries continue to struggle with a culture of impunity and violence. The conference addressed the following key questions: What lessons can be learned about the effectiveness of transitional justice mechanisms in dealing with the past? How does a society learn to live with the memory of genocide? And how can external actors contribute to the process of reconciliation?
Conference Paper

2005
Searching for Peace in Chechnya
Even though it is recognized that the political solution to the conflict in Chechnya must be achieved by the parties directly involved, there are ways for foreign actors to bring relief to the Chechen people. What have Swiss actors both on a bilateral and multilateral level been doing in Chechnya in the past? What are they currently doing? And what else could and should be done? Experts from Russia (including Chechnya) and Western European countries tried to find answers to these questions at the annual conference 2005.
Conference Paper