The Peace Institute's researchers and guest researchers focus on three broad subject areas; security, minorities and autonomy, including the ‘Åland Example'. The Institute regularly publishes books and reports in these areas. By arranging seminars and conferences and through a growing library that is open to the public, the Institute serves as a meeting-point for Åland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic Sea region. Autonomy and conflict management seminars are arranged with groups from conflict-ridden regions around the world.

One of the Institute's main perspectives in all work is gender, and a large part of the practical work is carried out in the framework of regional co-operation, i.e. empowerment projects with partners in neighbouring areas. The Åland Islands Peace Institute has built up a well-functioning network of non-governmental organisations in Lithuania, Belarus and Russia (the Kaliningrad region and the Republic of Karelia). Contacts with Latvia and Azerbaijan have also been established.

The activities of the Peace Institute also include youth activities such as youth exchanges and the sending and hosting of volunteers (EVS) in the framework of the EU Youth in Action programme. Local activities include peace education in schools, education for authorities, open seminars and lectures for the broad public and the Åland Mediation Office that offers mediation in accordance with the Finnish Act on Mediation in Criminal and Certain Civil Cases.