Mission | Vision
Mission Statement
Economics for Peace Institute, a nonprofit, works globally through education, research and economic development to build peace, foster sustainability, and restore the Earth’s natural systems. The Institute’s work is measured by local people for its social benefits, its economic fairness and its ability to preserve ecosystems for future generations. To this end, the Institute advances participatory research.
Vision
education –
The Institute conducts outreach for the public about participatory research. The Institute educates about how participatory research better informs public decisions than polls, surveys, public relations, social media, public hearings, open houses, town halls and many other common community engagement and public involvement practices.
The Institute provides training and guidance in participatory research and social fieldwork. The Institute develops curriculum in participatory research – online or direct – for local people and for nonprofits, government, schools and colleges. The Institute contributes to scholarly publications to advance participatory research. The Institute strengthens practitioner networks in participatory research.
research –
The Institute conducts and evaluates participatory research. The Institute provides participatory research services for stakeholder groups, government and tribal staff, electeds, consultants, scientists, conservation specialists, public health specialists, community organizers, artists, teachers, and for other organizations whether nonprofit or for-profit.
The Institute conducts research towards locally-derived, place-based indicators of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. The Institute runs pilot studies to establish place-based indicators to inform public decisions. Pilot studies demonstrate participatory research methods to raise awareness and to advance this under-utilized application of social science through methodological fine-tuning and diffusion to other localities and bioregions.
The Institute establishes participatory research labs, libraries and centers run by local clubs or chapters.
economic development –
The Institute organizes demonstration projects in sustainable economic enterprise. Examples include cooperative online markets of locally-sourced goods and services, succession land planning for producer cooperatives, and ecotourism for and by locals. Each demonstration project is evaluated and/or certified in a participatory way, by local people through place-based indicators of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship.
The Institute advances restorative economics which is the economics of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. The Institute will develop a “restorative economics” certification program to brand services and products that measure up in terms of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. Before any certification may be established, the groundwork must first be conducted to build common ground on what matters most in terms of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship.