Conference: New Developments in Business for Peace and the Role of Companies in War Zones School for Business and Society & IGDC

Working Group Members John Katsos, Jason Miklian, Tim Fort, Mark van Dorp, Joanne Murphy, and Christina Bache will all present their respective research areas.

Event Details: The Business for Peace agenda is a growing but highly debated one. It has attracted attention from various scholarly fields (development studies, international politics, law, international business, corporate social responsibility) and areas of practice (MNEs, NGOs, IGOs, consultancy, and the media). Can businesses help to provide the conditions for long-lasting peace in fragile states and zones of military strife and conflict around the world? How can they balance seemingly contradictory interests and avoid irresponsible actions in violent contexts? What theories help us make sense of this phenomenon, and how can policy be informed by research? Invited speakers include some of the world’s leading experts in this space, both academic and practice-oriented. Talks will present the latest thinking in the Business for Peace field, with speakers drawing on their experiences from locations such as Northern Ireland, the Basque Region, Bosnia Herzegovina, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, and Ukraine. Speakers will present the latest thinking on Business for Peace, including the use of a moral psychology lens, the role of democracy strengthening by businesses, the relationship between women’s economic inclusion and peace, organizational actors as peacebuilding entrepreneurs, how MNEs respond to human rights abuses, and the concept of peace-positive investment. There will be an opportunity to pose questions and engage in discussion with speakers throughout the day.

Register here: https://www.york.ac.uk/igdc/events/business-for-peace/