The individual peace: Ex-combatants, entrepreneurship, and peacebuilding

The transition from war to peace has two requirements: the rebuilding and development of the physical space torn by war, and the disarming, demobilizing, and reintegrating (DDR) of ex-combatants in the social space. The latter is particularly challenging because ex-combatants are highly stigmatized, lack training for formal employment, and must reconcile with their host communities. We posit that the path of entrepreneurship enables ex-combatants to achieve both requirements, thereby preventing future violence. We argue that entrepreneurship affects community violence levels through two causal paths: the direct effect that opening a business has on the entrepreneur and employees, and the indirect effect that a transformed economy, society, and politics have on members of the larger community. We present new data on ex-combatant entrepreneurial projects and examine their relationship to local victimization risks. We find that inclusive hiring practices and partnerships with civil society make local spaces more peaceful. The results have implications for DDR and suggest there is an important role for small, local businesses in building peace and prosperity.