Other initiatives
Throughout its history, the ICIP has launched a range of strategic initiatives to promote a culture of peace, create spaces for dialogue, and foster debate and innovation in the field of peacebuilding. This section highlights some of these projects, which have made a significant contribution to the institution’s work.
Among these initiatives are Build Peace, an international conference that explores the potential of technology, the arts, and innovation for peacebuilding, in which the ICIP plays an active role; the Catalan Parliament Peace Conference, an annual forum for debate and reflection on peace challenges and public policy, jointly organised with the Parliament of Catalonia; and other initiatives that promote the values of coexistence, inclusion, and non-discrimination.
Build Peace
Build Peace is an international conference dedicated to exploring how digital technology, the arts, and other forms of innovation can contribute to conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Organised annually by the Build Up collective, the conference brings together peace activists, technology professionals, researchers, academics, and representatives of civil society organisations from around the world to exchange knowledge, experiences, and innovative initiatives.
The ICIP has actively participated in recent editions of the conference, held in Chemnitz (Germany, 2022), Nairobi (Kenya, 2023), and Antipolo (Philippines, 2024), and co-organised the 2025 edition, held in Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Catalonia). Under the theme “Towards a Pluriverse of Peace”, Build Peace 2025 focused on the use of creative and technological tools to transform conflicts, strengthen community resilience, and promote more just and inclusive societies.
The 2026 edition will take place from 13 to 15 November in Waterloo (Canada). It will be co-organised with the Kindred Centre for Peace Advancement and will once again include the participation of the ICIP.
Catalan Parliament Peace Conference
Since 2023, the ICIP has jointly organised the Catalan Parliament Peace Conference together with La Fede and the Parliament of Catalonia. Held annually, it provides a space for collective reflection on the challenges of peacebuilding from Catalonia with a global perspective.
The conference takes place at the Parliament of Catalonia between late January and early February, to mark the International Day of Non-Violence and Peace in Schools. It brings together activists, civil society organisations, public institutions, and political representatives to exchange transformative experiences and develop public policy proposals committed to a culture of peace, human rights, and global justice.
With each edition, the Catalan Parliament Peace Conference has established itself as a leading forum for rethinking Catalonia’s commitment to peace from a critical, pluralistic perspective rooted in local realities.
Sport and Peace
Sport is a powerful tool for promoting coexistence, respect, and social cohesion. Beyond competition, it creates opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds and realities to come together, encourages teamwork, and helps prevent discrimination, prejudice, and hate speech. For these reasons, sport can become a valuable instrument for peacebuilding, both at the community level and in contexts affected by conflict and exclusion.
The ICIP builds partnerships with organisations and institutions that use sport as a tool for social transformation and the promotion of human rights. These initiatives seek to strengthen values such as inclusion, equality, dialogue, and non-discrimination, while bringing a culture of peace to new audiences.
One example is the event “Hate Doesn’t Score: Football for Coexistence”, organised jointly by Street Soccer Barcelona, NOVACT, and Club Esportiu Europa. The initiative combined a space for reflection on the role of sport in countering hate speech with a symbolic football match celebrating diversity, social cohesion, and the collective commitment to combating racism and exclusion.
