Nelson Mandela observed that “if you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” From this perspective it is encouraging that the last two decades have seen a substantial increase in the number of peace processes worldwide. International support to such processes has also intensified, with the United Nations and various regional organisations, such as the African Union, playing key roles. New actors have also entered the scene as peacemakers, such as Qatar, Turkey and civil society organisations. All of this suggests an increased willingness to give peace a better chance. Bringing a halt to the violence that affects the lives of so many is a worthy endeavour. At the same time, we must remain aware that violence is sometimes used intentionally in pursuit of private agendas. Also, the exclusion of social groups that can lead to conflict can be purposeful, and geopolitical considerations inevitably impose constraints on peace processes.