The Peace in Our Cities campaign seeks to galvanize a movement of people, mayors, and city governments to halve urban violence by 2030.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN 

Today, 9 of 10 instances of lethal violence take place outside of conflict zones in locations broadly considered at peace. Much of this violence takes place in cities where the majority of humanity is projected to reside in the coming decades. While urban violence is often as complex a phenomenon as violence in conflict zones, the reaction to violence in cities too often provokes overly simplistic responses that do little to prevent and reduce violence in the near to long term. The Peace in Our Cities campaign seeks to reverse this trend by creating concrete, participatory, and evidence-based platforms that make progress toward SDG16+ with an initial focus on SDG16.1 (to significantly reduce all forms of violence).

Cities today hold half of the world’s population, yet the growing risk of urban violence threatens the growth, development, and prosperity of entire cities and urban dwellers around the world. Global levels of violence are projected to increase by at least 10% by 2030, with much of that violence concentrated in urban settings. While urban residents often suffer the most at the hands of violence, cities also stand at the frontline of the fight to reduce and prevent it. There are now the tools, evidence, and best practices to not only curb violence in cities but also address the structural inequalities and injustices that perpetuate it.

By signing the Peace in Our Cities SDG16+ Action Pledge, the following cities and partners have committed to participate in an initial 12-month city-to-city collaboration to address urban violence and establish an evidence-based framework to help save lives and enhance peace in our cities: 

CITIES

PARTNERS

CAMPAIGN FACILITATORS

The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies is a multi-stakeholder partnership that brings together UN member states, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector to accelerate action for the SDG targets for peace, justice and inclusion (SDG16+). The Pathfinders is hosted by the NYU Center on International Cooperation.

+Peace is a global coalition of peacebuilding organizations mobilizing people, governments, and the private sector to reduce global levels of violence and division. We run campaigns that build peacebuilders’ collective power; make the case for peace to the public and global policymakers; and transform culture, policy, and politics in support of peacebuilding.

Impact:Peace leverages evidence to accelerate high potential change processes. We collaborate with partners to synthesize existing and produce original research, strategically connecting knowledge with those driving positive change in peacebuilding and violence prevention. Impact:Peace is a program of the Kroc School’s Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego.

EVENTS

Geneva Peace Week:  ‘Ending Urban VIolence to Build Urban Peace.’

November 7, 2019 | 6:00-8:00pm

Featuring Rachel Locke (Impact:Peace), Thomas Abt (Harvard Kennedy School of Government), and Angela Me (UNODC)