Section Article

The Role of NGOs in Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of Grassroots Peacebuilding Initiatives
Author(s): Meenakshi Gupta

Abstract
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have emerged as pivotal actors in conflict resolution and peacebuilding across diverse regions of India particularly where state interventions are limited or where communities face prolonged social ethnic political or developmental tensions. As India entered 2024 numerous grassroots conflicts persisted in regions affected by identity-based tensions resource disputes insurgency communal polarization and developmental marginalization. In these circumstances NGOs played an indispensable role by facilitating communication across divided groups promoting dialogue building trust enabling community participation and deploying culturally sensitive conflict-resolution mechanisms. Their work spans mediation rehabilitation capacity-building trauma healing legal empowerment youth mobilization and fostering local peace infrastructures that operate beyond formal state structures. This study examines the role of NGOs in conflict resolution in India by analyzing grassroots peacebuilding initiatives undertaken across diverse conflict-prone regions. It argues that NGOs contribute not merely through service delivery but by transforming social relationships strengthening local institutions and creating long-term mechanisms for cooperative coexistence. By drawing connections between community-led peace processes and governance demands of 2024 the paper highlights how NGOs bridge gaps between state policy and local needs and why their contributions remain vital for inclusive peacebuilding in India.