Entrepreneurs as a key to peace: how fragile states can benefit from inclusive entrepreneurship

Could entrepreneurs be the key to promoting peace in conflict-stricken areas? Let’s take a deep-dive into the recent study published by Seth D. Kaplan, a professor at John Hopkins University,  and Adrian Magendzo, professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Kentucky, which explores the impact entrepreneurship can have on peace processes in fragile states.

The report was published by IFIT, a peacebuilding NGO that aims to help fragile and conflict-affected countries achieve more inclusive negotiations and sustainable transitions out of war, crisis or authoritarianism.

The findings highlight the many skills that entrepreneurs possess that can act as bridges between conflicted social groups or strengthen the quality of governance. These skills include conflict management, optimism, leadership, strategic thinking and the ability to collaborate with governments as  partners rather than ideological adversaries, among others.

Entrepreneurs often succeed due to their own hard work and ability to negotiate with a wide range of actors, placing them in a unique position to alleviate social and political tensions. Promoting entrepreneurship, Kaplan and Magendzo argue, elevates a group of citizens who are more likely to think creatively about solutions and have higher conflict-resolution skills, which is particularly useful in times of scarcity and political struggles.

For this to happen, however, decision-makers need to strategically develop a bottom-up transformation of the economy in fragile states. One of the macro-level actions recommended by the authors propose is to reduce the barriers to entry for entrepreneurship. It is crucial to amplify underrepresented voices and ensure their insights inform entrepreneurship strategies at the highest levels of decision-making. The authors put special emphasis on investing in women and youth entrepreneurs, as their perspectives are often overlooked while their creativity and strategic thinking remains an untapped potential for the policy and business sector.

You can read the full report here.