Theorizing Business and Local Peacebuilding Through the “Footprints of Peace” Coffee Project in Rural Colombia

Abstract

Despite emerging study of business initiatives that attempt to support local peace and development, we still have significant knowledge gaps on their effectiveness and efficiency. This article builds theory on business engagements for peace through exploration of the Footprints for Peace (FOP) peacebuilding project by the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC). FOP was a business-peace initiative that attempted to improve the lives of vulnerable populations in conflict-affected regions. Through 70 stakeholder interviews, we show how FOP operationalized local peace and development in four conflict-affected departments of Colombia, and examine FNC’s motivations for and effectiveness of its peacebuilding activities. Our main finding is that FOP’s success supported several existing theories on business engagement in peace both in terms of peacebuilding by business and for local economic and societal development, providing evidence in support of development–business collaborations and local peacebuilding by business under certain targeted circumstances. We relate these findings to existing literature, highlighting where existing business-peace theory is supported, where FOP challenged assumptions, and where it illuminated new research gaps. These findings serve to take business-peace theory forward and improve our understandings of what can constitute success for business-peace initiatives in Colombia and possibly other conflict-affected regions.

El rol de la RSE en el modelo de inclusión laboral para víctimas y desmovilizados del conflicto armado colombiano.

“…Por otro lado, es posible que las acciones comerciales fomenten un cambio positivo más amplio, sobre todo para aquellas empresas que priorizan el compromiso con las comunidades locales en lugar de responsables políticos (Miklian & Medina, 2020). En definitiva, diversas iniciativas se han desarrollado e implementado con respecto a la vinculación y creación de empleos para las víctimas y desmovilizados, evidenciando que en Colombia se está intentando un desarrollo socioeconómico incluyente y ecuánime que permite un gran avance del conflicto al posconflicto y la creación de paz.…”

Business, Human Rights and Peace: Linking the Academic Conversation

“…Some studies, especially in political science, have taken 'business' to mean tasks traditionally done by the private sector, even when done by non-profit-making entities such as government, workers' collectives, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 66 Others, especially those rooted in management and organization studies, 67 have focused on profit-making entities that engage in profit-making activities in conflict zones as the focus of various studies. There are additional problems related to focus.…”

Entrepreneurial Strategies to Address Rural-Urban Climate-Induced Vulnerabilities: Assessing Adaptation and Innovation Measures in Dhaka, Bangladesh

“…Moreover, are there particular types of innovations or technologies that seem to be more effective than others in this space, and why might that be so? Second, it is well recognized that governments, businesses and individuals typically have very different understandings of societal risk when formulating effective climate adaptation and mitigation strategies [79][80][81], but how do these differences of risk influence policymaking in Dhaka? Particularly given competing understandings of which communities are the "most vulnerable", and even which communities are more worthy of attention?…”