The P3A project will advance the understanding of how, and under what conditions, private sector development exacerbates or mitigates conflict in Africa.
Despite the accelerating interest in the private sector as a sustainable development actor, the conditions under which they support or undermine peace-positive outcomes remain unclear. Recognising the imperative to fill this knowledge gap, P3A constitutes a continent-wide comparative research project studying how the private sector can both exacerbate and mitigate conflict in Africa.
P3A unites researchers at PRIO, Stellenbosch University, the Wharton School of Business, Copenhagen Business School and the Centre for Environment and Development at the University of Oslo. Utilising continent wide disaggregated quantitative analyses and focused case comparison, the project will:
- provide a comprehensive dataset on the private sector and conflict for Africa.
- explore a range of contextual risk factors for conflict with a nexus to the private sector, focusing on institutional gaps, conflict faultlines, and conflictual bonds between networks of actors.
- explore conflict risk mitigation efforts by firms and policy actors, focusing on collaborative actions and initiatives.
- explore mechanisms linking risk factors, risk mitigation efforts and conflict in real world business-conflict systems, focusing on planning and analysis; quality of collaborative engagement; and gender sensitivity.
- synthesise findings to provide a novel empirical review and critique of the propositions of business and peace and related scholarship regarding the private sector in Africa.
