Convening a Global Community for Dialogue and Peace
EVENT: PEACE CONNECT 2025
CLIENT: PEACE DIRECT
VENUE: TRADEMARK HOTEL I SAFARI PARK HOTEL & CASINO
DATES: 13TH -17TH OCTOBER 2025
The Moment
Peace Connect 2025 brought together 500 peacebuilders, practitioners and partners from across the world for four days of dialogue, reflection and collaboration.
This was not designed as a conventional conference. The intention was to create a space where difficult conversations could happen with care, where global solidarity could be strengthened, and where those working in fragile contexts felt both heard and supported.
Waridi partnered with Peace Direct over a nine month planning period to shape and deliver the gathering in Nairobi, working from early concept conversations through to final onsite execution.
Designing for Dialogue and Care
The experience was intentionally structured to balance intellectual depth with emotional awareness.
The four day program included plenary sessions and breakout discussions, but it also prioritised wellbeing. On site psychologists were available throughout the event to support delegates. Quiet rooms were created to allow space for pause and decompression. Collaborative murals invited participants to visually contribute to shared themes of peace and resilience. Basket weaving and other hands on activities offered grounding moments beyond structured dialogue. Creative interludes, including drumming and dance performances, created shared energy and connection.
The venue selection was deliberate. Safari Park Hotel & Casino provided expansive grounds and a calm environment that supported conversations centred on healing and trust building. The physical setting reinforced the tone of the gathering rather than distracting from it.
Every design choice was made to ensure the space felt inclusive, intentional and aligned with the values of the peace building community.
Acting as an Extension of the Client Team
Over nine months, Waridi worked in close collaboration with Peace Direct’s internal planning team. We operated as an extension of their team rather than as an external supplier, aligning on priorities, decision making processes and communication structures throughout the planning cycle.
Three Waridi planners coordinated more than eight vendors while managing venue liaison, accommodation blocks, international delegate travel coordination, airport transfers, on ground transport scheduling, registration oversight, branding design and installation, and overall event operations.
Managing the arrival and movement of 500 international participants required detailed logistical planning. Travel timelines, accommodation allocations and transport flows were structured carefully to ensure delegates experienced clarity and ease from arrival through to departure.
At the same time, the experiential elements were translated into operational reality. Wellbeing spaces were appropriately resourced, activity zones were integrated into the venue layout and scheduling supported rather than competed with the core program.
This collaborative structure allowed Peace Direct’s internal team to focus on content, speakers and stakeholder relationships while Waridi held the operational and experiential framework.
Delivering Impact with Financial Discipline
As an organisation operating within the impact space, Peace Direct required disciplined financial stewardship. Resources needed to be directed towards meaningful outcomes rather than unnecessary production.
Waridi managed the budget with a strong focus on return on investment, negotiating vendors carefully and maintaining scope control throughout the nine month planning period. Decisions were evaluated against impact, alignment and value.
The result was a seamless four day conference delivered to international standards, without excess. The experience was thoughtful, grounded and aligned with the organisation’s mission.
Peace Connect 2025 demonstrated that values led gatherings can be delivered with both care and operational discipline when partnership and planning are aligned.
