Elite Bargains and Political Deals Toolkit .

The toolkit provides peacebuilders with a means to better understand power dynamics in local conflicts. The approaches and activities contained support organizations to develop conflict mitigation, resolution, and prevention techniques that reflect the underlying political and cultural factors that drive conflict.

The free, open-access toolkit provides organizations a step-by-step guide to plan and run a two-to-four-day workshop on applying “Elite Bargains and Political Deals” (EBPD) theory in community-level conflicts. The workshop explains foundational EBPD concepts and helps local organizations translate theory into practical peace and stabilization activities.

Peacebuilding and stabilization efforts must consider informal power structures that drive conflicts. EBPD theory supports peacebuilders and peace enablers to uncover different groups’ and institutions’ informal power bases. By acknowledging the role that “elites” play in reducing and resolving violence, the toolkit supports implementers to identify and develop effective “political deals” and “bargains” that help resolve local conflicts.