Pathways for peace : inclusive approaches to preventing violent conflict

Introduction. Prevention of violent conflict works and is cost-effective ; Why, then, is there so little belief in the prevention of violent conflict? ; What is the prevention of violent conflict? ; Can prevention of violent conflict be done differently? ; The importance of agency to prevention -- A surge and expansion of violent conflict. Violent conflict in the twenty-first century ; Understanding trends in violent conflict ; The unacceptable costs of violent conflict ; How violent conflicts end -- The need for prevention in an interdependent world. An international system in search of a new equilibrium ; Risk and opportunity in an increasingly connected world -- Pathways for peace. A framework for peaceful pathways ; Path dependency of violence ; The centrality of actors ; Understanding risk and opportunity ; Prevention and sustaining peace : building peaceful pathways ; Scenarios for pathways to peace or violence -- Why people fight : inequality, exclusion, and a sense of injustice. Inequality and violent conflict ; The multiple and intersecting dimensions of exclusion ; Exclusion, identity, grievances, and mobilization to violence -- What people fight over : arenas of contestation. Risk and opportunity in the arenas of contestation ; The arena of power and governance ; The arena of land and natural resources ; The arena of service delivery ; The arena of security and justice -- Country approaches to preventing violent conflict. Navigating transition moments ; Changing actors' incentives ; Addressing institutional weaknesses ; Investing in structural factors -- The international architecture for prevention. Systemic prevention ; Regional action ; International tools for prevention ; International development assistance ; Areas of convergence between diplomatic, security, and development instruments -- Pursuing pathways for peace : recommendations for building inclusive approaches for prevention. Principles for prevention ; An agenda for action : prevention in practice ; Organizing for prevention ; A call for action -- Appendix A: Thematic papers and case studies.