Past Program

Peace is key to ensuring Asia's sustained development and prosperity as the world's most populous region grows in global geopolitical and economic importance. But despite the region’s rich experience in mediating peace and reconciliation, the learning exchange between regional, local and community-driven initiatives has so far been low.

Launched in 2020, the Asia Peace Innovators Forum aims to shape long-term peace, stability, and regional cooperation in Asia by building a network of mid-career professionals working in different sectors and countries to exchange knowledge, community-driven approaches, and best practices. Due the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this program has been moved primarily online, where every two weeks the selected Asia Peace Innovators will tackle a different element of peace-building. 

This online program addressed decentralization and local government.  Participants considered the role different languages and cultures play in their countries; strengthening civil society within local communities; the sources of financing for local administration (including dependence on national government for funds; extractive industries; and foreign aid); transparency in decentralized governance; and the need for peace and a strong constitution to allow decentralization to take place. 

This program is open exclusively to accepted participants of the Asia Peace Innovators Forum.