In this short article I give two contrasting and interesting examples of how heritage can contribute to build peace and cohesion, even in diverse societies that have suffered from protracted conflicts. The first example is Rwanda, a country that has experienced one of the worst genocides since the Second World War. It is difficult to imagine a country more torn apart. In this article I present a positive concrete example of how it is possible, even after a genocide, to build peace and development with the help of a combination of heritage and civil society organisation, local government, universities and international organisations. The second example is Tanzania, a country which is an exception in a region, where all neighbouring countries have been involved in protracted violence, where no violent conflicts, so far, has developed (Ewald 2013). With the Tanzanian case I would like to illustrate the role popular music can play for peaceful development and social cohesion.