The Observatory of Conflict and Violence Prevention (OCVP) is a non-political, non-denominational, non-governmental organisation founded in June 2009. OCVP is working to build an evidence-base that can be used to design programmes and inform policies at a time when Somalia is emerging from prolonged conflict, and the transitional institutions need to be nurtured with local information and adapted to local dynamics. To achieve this, OCVP has three programmatic areas of focus: research and analysis; training; and knowledge management. Over 3 years of experience of working in areas of conflict, crime and peacebuilding, OCVP recognized the need to apply holistic approaches to these issues. Peace is one of the most important goals in human society. It is the basis of sustainable development and happiness that everyone strives to achieve at all cost. To achieve this goal, we must do all we can to avoid or prevent conflict. Violence and war brings nothing but death, destruction, hatred and underdevelopment. To prevent conflict and bring about peace and development we must search for the reasons that we go to war or are violent against each other, and then work to prevent or avoid it. As a well-positioned and professionally staffed institution, the OCVP is striving to support on-going peacebuilding across the country.