Non-profit research institute for peace & sustainable development
Models for Peace
Evidence-based models for conflict prevention, civic trust, and sustainable futures.
Models for Peace is an independent, non‑profit institute that documents real‑world models for reducing the long‑term harms of war and political violence and building sustainable peace across generations.
Based in New York, Models for Peace draws on experience across United Nations processes, nuclear disarmament efforts, sustainable development agendas, and on‑the‑ground initiatives in diverse regions and oceans worldwide. We translate this work into accessible analyses, case records, and learning tools that help communities, institutions, and decision‑makers advance peace, safeguard human dignity and mental health, and protect the environment.
Current Scope
A research institute grounded in documented cases.
What We Do
Models for Peace documents and analyzes real‑world peace and development models across four domains: war and security, democracy and governance, water and environment, and the cultural and media infrastructures that support more peaceful, sustainable societies.
- Non-profit, independent research institute registered in New York.
- Focus on peacebuilding, social cohesion, and SDG implementation in fragile and polarized contexts.
- Long-term partnerships with local organizations, city governments, and regional networks.
- Commitment to open, carefully documented, and citation-ready materials.
War & Security
We document and analyze efforts to reduce the harms of weapons and war—from nuclear disarmament campaigns and petitions to peace education and shared‑security initiatives in UN and city settings.
Democracy & Governance
We document and analyze efforts to reduce the harms of weapons and war—from nuclear disarmament campaigns and petitions to peace education and shared‑security initiatives in UN and city settings.
Water & Environment
We work on models that link water security, land and forest protection, and local livelihoods, including community water committees, sustainable tourism concepts, and indigenous environmental governance.
Culture & Media
We study how culture and institutions shape peace, from media and fashion initiatives to municipal peace offices, youth programs, and democracy‑focused recognition in local and international forums.
Featured Work
A rotating selection of Models for Peace case records and insights, drawn from our work in UN and international forums, field collaborations, and long‑term documentation of peace and development models.
WE‑001 – Water Security in a Narrow Sea – Models For Peace
An Insight by Michael William Paul connecting the 2009 UN water forum in Muscat with the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis, examining how desalination, climate stress, conflict and global food systems shap... ...more
Featured ,Insights
March 16, 2026•6 min read
Case Record 9 – Global Security Summit on Nuclear Disarmament (The ATOM Project, Geneva)
Case Record 9 documents participation in a global security summit on nuclear disarmament linked to The ATOM Project in Geneva, highlighting humanitarian disarmament, survivor testimony, and the links ... ...more
Case Records ,Featured
March 13, 2026•5 min read
Case Record 4 – Public–Private Forum on Sustainable Tourism (UN, New York, 2024)
Case Record 4 documents Models for Peace’s intervention at a United Nations public–private forum on sustainable tourism in New York, 2024, linking tourism models to peace infrastructures, community ri... ...more
Case Records ,Featured
March 12, 2026•6 min read
How We Work
Three connected program streams structure our work: monitoring key peace and development commitments, testing models in the field, and building shared documentation and learning tools.
Peace & SDG Watchdesk
The Watchdesk tracks how global commitments on peace, justice, and sustainable development are interpreted and implemented in specific local settings. We map long-term initiatives, monitor key policy and institutional changes, and curate documentation from partners in the field. The focus is on understanding trajectories rather than single events—how efforts to prevent violence and strengthen institutions evolve over years, including what stalls and what adapts.
Field Labs
Field Labs are long-term collaborations with local partners who want to test and refine specific peacebuilding models—such as municipal peace offices, violence interruption networks, or cross-border resource committees. We co-design the lab with partners, integrate documentation from the beginning, and accompany them through cycles of implementation, reflection, and adaptation. The aim is not to pilot and exit, but to help build durable institutional capacities that can be sustained by local actors.
Documentation & Learning
Documentation & Learning activities provide guidance and collaboration on how to record peace and development work in ways that are rigorous and accessible. This includes developing templates for case studies, framing work in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, and promoting ethical visual documentation through photography and film.
Case Records
Case Records are concise, action‑ and evidence‑based summaries of peace and development initiatives that Models for Peace has helped design, support, or document. They present our analysis of each case, its context, objectives, activities, outcomes, and lessons so that underlying models can be examined, questioned, and adapted in other settings.
Format: Each case provides a short overview, timeline, institutional map, and key design questions. Selected cases include working papers and teaching notes.
Case Record 10 – Sport for Development Summit: International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (UN, 2017)
Case Record 10 documents participation in the Sport for Development Summit at the United Nations on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, examining how sport is framed as civic inf... ...more
Case Records
March 13, 2026•5 min read
Case Record 9 – Global Security Summit on Nuclear Disarmament (The ATOM Project, Geneva)
Case Record 9 documents participation in a global security summit on nuclear disarmament linked to The ATOM Project in Geneva, highlighting humanitarian disarmament, survivor testimony, and the links ... ...more
Case Records ,Featured
March 13, 2026•5 min read
Case Record 8 – Newark Peace Education Summit: Teaching Peace from Kindergarten to the United Nations
Case Record 8 documents Universal Models for Peace’s role in the Newark Peace Education Summit, highlighting workshops on peace education from kindergarten to the UN, disarmament for development, yout... ...more
Case Records
March 13, 2026•6 min read
Insights
Insights are working notes, conceptual models, and reflective essays drawn from our field partnerships and research networks. They connect specific experiences to broader questions of peacebuilding, democracy, and the SDGs.
Format: Each case provides a short overview, timeline, institutional map, and key design questions. Selected cases include working papers and teaching notes.
WE‑002 – Models for Peace Note – Water, War and Desalination in the Gulf
Internal‑style Models for Peace note capturing what we are currently seeing at the intersection of water security, desalination, conflict and global food and energy systems in the Gulf, and how it con... ...more
Insights
March 17, 2026•4 min read
WE‑001 – Water Security in a Narrow Sea – Models For Peace
An Insight by Michael William Paul connecting the 2009 UN water forum in Muscat with the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis, examining how desalination, climate stress, conflict and global food systems shap... ...more
Featured ,Insights
March 16, 2026•6 min read
WS‑001 – The Long Shadow of War – Models for Peace
An Insight by Michael William Paul on what long‑term work around nuclear harm, public campaigns and unresolved conflicts reveals about how war and security are defined today, and how those choices sha... ...more
Insights
March 16, 2026•6 min read
Archive & Recognition
Archive & Recognition highlights awards, press, and international invitations connected to Models for Peace. Detailed stories and updates are published in our Insight section and tagged in the archive as it grows.
Awards Mentions
2016 · Defender of Democracy Award – Zambrano Foundation, Cumbre Latino Americana (Miami).
2015 · Recognition for peace and sustainable development media work (Zambrano Foundation network / press distribution).
Press & Media
2024 · Interview on documenting local peace infrastructures in a global public radio program.
2022 · Feature in a governance innovation journal on municipal peace mandates.
2020 · Coverage in regional media on cross-border water committees and conflict prevention.
UN & International Events
2024 · Contribution to an expert meeting on local peace infrastructures and SDG 16 implementation.
2022 · Presentation at an international gathering on climate, water, and conflict prevention.
2019 · Input to a global consultation on community-centered reconciliation processes.
Contact
For collaboration inquiries, information about specific case records, or speaking engagements, please reach out. We work with partners in cities, regions, and organizations that are building long-term peace infrastructures.
Email: [email protected]
City: New York, United States
We aim to respond to serious research and partnership requests within ten working days.
Newsletter
Receive occasional briefings on new case records, models, and essays.
© Models for Peace. A New York–based independent research initiative in the process of reinstating its 501(c)(3) non‑profit status in the United States.
Focused on documenting, testing, and sharing practical models for peacebuilding and sustainable development.
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