International Cities of Peace

What International Cities of Peace does

International Cities of Peace (legal entity: Cities of Peace, Inc.) is a US-based nonprofit association, founded April 8, 2009 by J. Frederick Arment and headquartered in Centerville, Ohio, that operates a global peacebuilding network of nearly 500 member communities across approximately 80 countries on all six continents. The organization functions as a formal association framework: communities, by history or proclamation, self-define as an International City of Peace and adopt the ICP methodology, which involves building consensus among business, government, and community leaders and implementing peace visions, missions, and action plans. Core offerings are organized around two flagship initiatives: Discover Peace (which includes SustainChain, the ICP Tool Box, the Golden Rule Institute, Rotarianism for Cities of Peace, City-to-City Collaborations, and registration resources) and Inspire Peace (comprising 33 ICP Action Plans, ICP Humanity in Service, and ICP Day on April 8). Distribution is grassroots-led by volunteer City Liaisons in each member community, with digital touchpoints including the internationalcitiesofpeace.org website, a quarterly Global NewsCast newsletter, a Facebook group, and alignment with the UN International Day of Peace on September 21.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: there is no proprietary product, no mobile app, no API or SDK, and no documented AI or automation layer; the platform is a standard nonprofit website with member login, courses area, global map, and content publishing infrastructure. The business model is donation-driven and explicitly non-commercial. Cities are not charged to join; the Chair and Lead Facilitator has taken no compensation in 17 years per the source, and revenue is generated via voluntary PayPal donations, occasional partner programming (e.g., Rotary Peacebuilder Club Program), and aligned academic/government collaborations. Customer segments span municipal governments (St. Petersburg FL; Busan; Weifang), Rotary Clubs (Rotary District 5100; Newberg Rotary), refugee settlements (Isanijya Nakivale, Kityaza Nakivale, New Goma in Uganda), and individual communities pursuing peace designations, with no single anchor account. Strategic ambition is articulated through the Vision 1000 plan to reach 1,000 Cities of Peace by 2030.

Name

International Cities of Peace

Legal name

Cities of Peace, Inc.

Website

https://internationalcitiesofpeace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Cities of Peace is a US-based nonprofit association that operates a global network of nearly 500 member communities across 80 countries, helping cities self-define as Cities of Peace through proclamations, peace action plans, and volunteer liaison coordination, funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peacebuilding and Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-Conflict Recovery, Reconciliation & Social Cohesion Programs (BPADAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Peace, Security & Arms Control Organizations (BPADAAAF)

Keywords

• Community peacebuilding
• City peacebuilding network
• Peace association
• Culture of peace
• Municipal peacebuilding

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: International Cities of Peace is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily through donations. The organization accepts contributions via PayPal and encourages supporters to donate to support the global peacebuilding network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Cities of Peace is a formal association of nearly 500 communities across 80 countries that self-define as Cities of Peace. It provides a structured framework, methodology, resources, and a global network for communities to build peace culture through civic consensus, peace vision and mission development, and implementation of action plans. Membership is free and revenue is generated through donations.

Product overview

International Cities of Peace is a formal association of communities that self-define as Cities of Peace, operating as a non-profit peacebuilding network rather than a technology product. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including Discover Peace™ (which encompasses SustainChain™ and the ICP Tool Box), Rotarianism for Cities of Peace, the Golden Rule Institute, Peace Day initiatives, City-to-City Collaborations, and ICP Humanity in Service. The network supports member cities through ICP Action Plans (33 documented plans) and celebrates annual events like ICP Day on April 8th and the Global Feast for Peace on September 21st. The association functions through a website platform connecting nearly 500 cities across 80 countries on all six continents, helping communities build peace infrastructure through local governance engagement, education, and community collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Golden Rule Institute: A service of International Cities of Peace focused on the ethical principle 'Do for others as you would have them do for you'
• SustainChain
• Rotarianism for Cities of Peace
• ICP Action Plans
• ICP Humanity in Service
• Global Cultural Peace Walk (GCPW)

Products and services

• Discover Peace™ A comprehensive program guiding communities through the process of becoming an International City of Peace, including benefits information, registration tips, and support resources.
• ICP Tool Box A collection of tools and resources for Cities of Peace including media highlights and publications to support peacebuilding initiatives.
• SustainChain™ A sustainability program helping Cities of Peace maintain and develop their peace initiatives over time.
• Rotarianism for Cities of Peace A special program that highlights how Rotary clubs and Rotarians around the world contribute to peacebuilding through their service projects and community engagement.
• Golden Rule Institute A service of International Cities of Peace focused on the ethical principle 'Do for others as you would have them do for you' as the foundation for peacebuilding.
• City-to-City Collaborations A program facilitating partnerships and knowledge sharing between different Cities of Peace around the world.
• ICP Humanity in Service A program recognizing and supporting humanitarian service initiatives within the Cities of Peace network.
• ICP Day (April 8th) The first annual International Cities of Peace Day, established on April 8th to generate enthusiasm and impact for peacebuilding, linking with UN Day on September 21st.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 500 Cities of Peace established across 80 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Rotary District 5100coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Mike Caruso of Rotary District 5100 in Oregon founded the Rotary Peacebuilder Club Program in 2011, which has expanded to over 450 Rotary Clubs. The program integrates Rotary's service philosophy with International Cities of Peace's peacebuilding framework, creating a global network of Rotarian peace initiatives.
• Golden Rule InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Golden Rule Institute is a service of International Cities of Peace, promoting the ethical principle 'Do for others as you would have them do for you' as the focus of peace education.
• UNESCOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeifang's peace studies initiative includes cooperation with UNESCO. Liu Cheng serves as UNESCO Chair of Peace Studies in China and is involved in the Weifang peace program.
• International Peace Research Association (IPRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeifang has established cooperative relations with IPRA for peace research and academic exchange.
• Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeifang has established cooperative relations with PJSA for peace studies and education.
• Busan Foundation for International Cooperation (BFIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFIC co-hosts the World Peace Forum and peace initiatives in Busan, South Korea, working closely with the city on international peace programming.
• Weifang UniversitymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWeifang University is a key partner in establishing peace research institutes and developing peace education curricula for the city.
• Nanjing UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Liu Cheng serves as a professor of history and peace studies at Nanjing University and is a council member of International Cities of Peace. Nanjing University collaborates on peace research initiatives.
• Coventry University (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeifang holds dialogues and academic conferences on Culture of Peace with Coventry University as part of international cooperation efforts.
• George Mason University (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeifang holds dialogues and academic conferences on Culture of Peace with George Mason University as part of international cooperation efforts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United States Institute of Peace: USIP is a US-congressionally funded national institute dedicated to preventing and resolving violent conflicts. It is comparable to ICP because both work in the peacebuilding field and engage with international actors, though USIP operates at policy and research level while ICP focuses on municipal peace designations.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: The Global Covenant of Mayors is the largest alliance of city leaders committed to climate and energy action, representing over 13,000 cities. It is comparable to ICP as a peer municipal-level commitments network, though its scope is climate while ICP's is peace, both using voluntary city-level commitments and global registry mechanisms.
• Search for Common Ground: Search for Common Ground is one of the largest dedicated peacebuilding NGOs globally, working on conflict transformation across dozens of countries. It is comparable to International Cities of Peace because both operate in the peacebuilding space with country-level programming, but SFCG is significantly larger and more institutionalized while ICP focuses on grassroots municipal designations.
• International Alert: International Alert is a London-based peacebuilding NGO that works with people directly affected by conflict to build sustainable peace. It is comparable to ICP because both pursue community-level peacebuilding outcomes and engage with government and civil society actors, though Alert is more research- and policy-oriented while ICP is a designation network.

Emerging players

• Cities of Migration: Cities of Migration is a global knowledge-exchange hub connecting cities on immigrant integration and inclusion practices. It is comparable to ICP because both organize around the city as the unit of change and curate best-practice sharing between municipalities on civic-quality-of-life themes.
• Peace One Day: Peace One Day is a nonprofit that works to raise awareness and action for the International Day of Peace on 21 September. It is comparable to ICP because both organizations anchor around UN-recognized peace days (Peace One Day: Sept 21; ICP: April 8) and use those annual events to mobilize global awareness around peacebuilding.
• Institute for Economics and Peace: The Institute for Economics and Peace produces the Global Peace Index and Positive Peace framework and works with governments and multilaterals to measure peacefulness. It is comparable to ICP because both promote peace as an economic and civic concept and engage with cities and governments, though IEP focuses on measurement and ranking while ICP focuses on community designation and program delivery.

Direct peers

• Mayors for Peace: Mayors for Peace is a global network of municipal leaders dedicated to promoting peace and disarmament, founded by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is highly comparable to International Cities of Peace because both organize cities around peace commitments, share the city-as-unit-of-change model, and pursue similar UN alignment strategies.
• Peace Direct: Peace Direct is a nonprofit that supports local peacebuilders and peacebuilding organizations around the world, particularly in conflict-affected regions. It is the closest functional peer to International Cities of Peace because both organizations act as federating networks for grassroots peace actors and rely on donations to support community-led peace work.

Others

• Rotary International (Peace Programs): Rotary International is the global service organization whose district structure ICP partners with through the Rotarianism for Cities of Peace program. It is included as a peer because it is both a strategic partner and a parallel peace-distributing network, with Rotary Peace Fellows and Peace Centers making it a major incumbent in the peace-infrastructure space adjacent to ICP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalcitiesofpeace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-cities-of-peace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Cities of Peace