Therein lies the genesis of GDRC's approach to exploring the concept of Peace. Unsustainable access to natural resources and environmental degradation, including climate change, can lead (and has led) to conflicts and disruption of peace in communities and nations.

GDRC's programmes intrinsically look at peace more as an outcome of well-being and contentment, than the absence of conflict (acknowledging, of course, that both are equally important!). GDRC's 15 research Programmes Environmental Decision-Making Sustainable Development Oceans, Coasts and Small Islands Urban Environmental Management Urban Governance Urban Heritage and Conservation NGOs and the Civil Society Gender and Development Microfinance Informal Sector Technology Management Sustainable Business ICTs for Development Knowledge Management Information Design

Peace cuts across many of GDRC's core research programmes and sub-themes within those programmes:

What environmental decision-making processes can alleviate the situation and lead to better liveability and well-being? How can we manage our urban environments better and reduce the risks that we face (both natural and man-made)? What urban governance structures would be ideal to manage our cities? How can we instill a sense of attachment, of "place" through heritage conservation?

Gender roles in peace building are critical for both of the themes that constitute peace - absence of conflict, but especially in well-being of societies. Much of the efforts of women in peace building remain underrecognised due to their local/micro scale - where indeed peace is most important!

There is a clear cyclical link between poverty reduction strategies and prevalence of peace. How can economic opportunities be provided with informal sector development policies or facilitate availability of microfinance to improve livelihoods?

And how can Information - awareness and knowledge dissemination, skills and abilities - help capacitate and activate communities to work towards their long-term well-being and peace?