Peacebuilding - when humanity wins
All of us encounter conflict in our daily lives, whether our inclination is to shy away from it or tackle it head on. Mostly we just want to get on with our business with minimum fuss. And if things do get out of hand, there are usually ways of dealing with it in well-functioning societies - like the justice system and government policy.
For those of us who live in peaceful places, these conflicts have a good chance of being resolved without blood being spilt. However if you happen to live in a country with dysfunctional institutions and perhaps a government who favours one social or ethnic group over others, things aren't that simple. Tension rises, patience wears thin and violence erupts. Sometimes this escalates into all out war.
Sustainability is impossible, a utopia, without peace and I think it's good to remind ourselves that the reasons behind war are as complex as people are different. What we all have in common is that we are human and sometimes peace can be built by focusing on this in unusual ways.
Last year Sublime Magazine (print) featured a special highlighting the inventive and courageous work done by a selection of peace building organisations around the world. They are an inspiration and I wanted to share their stories with you.
Main image by Beth
Thumbnail image by Jimmy Brown
