This paper presents the recent Initiative for Central Africa (INICA). It starts by providing some background on the context in which the initiative was launched, its objectives, and its methodology, before examining its first concrete achievements. Should peace return to this region of Africa that has been so badly hurt by the conflicts of the last decade, kick-starting the local economies will be a major challenge. INICA aims to contribute to this post-conflict reconstruction. Considering that any solution to the problem posed by the multi-faceted conflicts of the Central African region, including the Great Lakes region, will have to be a regional solution, INICA is paying particular attention to cross-border dynamics, in particular local initiatives to mobilize "grassroots" forces in service of development.