We, The Peacebuilders

We live in communities that are dynamic. Driving around any city anywhere in the world, you will find places that were once considered exclusive and wealthy that are now broken down and shoddy looking. Houses are boarded up, lawns that were once pristine and magazine cover worthy are now over grown and you cannot tell the difference between a weed and a neglected flowering shrub.

Societies thrive when all capabilities within are developed and utilized. We know this to be true hence we often argue for those who have not had that aspect extended to them; and we can see the impact of this adverse action on all of us. In our attempts to reverse these effects we participate in what we term "giving back": an action that places those of us who are giving in a position of holder and maintainer of elite benefits of society. Yet if we look closer we must acknowledge that our willingness to give back is sometimes facilitated by the assumed inability of another to attain for themselves. It also facilitates a sense of indignity for the recipient who often does not have a choice in what they are given and how they receive it.

I’ve had the immense privilege of working in both public and private sector. In the public sector, policy practitioners conduct a community needs assessment which is the bedrock of a good policy. In the private sector, business developers and Consultants conduct a client’s needs assessment which results in a meaningful and productive engagement. However, these skills are not optimized when it comes to participating in the rebuilding of persons or communities or "giving back". The results are often sub-optimal results such as neglected projects, underperformance of project inputs and wastage of resources. If we are going to do this differently and be successful, then we need to change the way we think of it. This paradigm shift is a process that will require a change in our words.

What if we saw this differently? What if those of us who’ve managed to reap the benefits of being in societies that have allowed us to thrive understood differently? What if we saw the other person as capable and wise as opposed to helplessly needy?

With much consideration, I propose the term “Peacebuilding”.

“My Neighbor’s Peace is My Peace”

Peace is not the absence of conflict, neither is it the presence of social harmony. The latter is often a social veneer and the former a shallow expectation. Neither definition allows societies to interrogate existing conditions with some semblance of emotional integrity. The truth is that peace is complex and requires constant vigilance and maintenance. This maintenance comes in many forms such as open, respectful and continuous communication from all members of the society; free and frequent access to the common goods such as clean, safe water, meaningful employment or an open internet; the ability to participate in free, fair and transparent elections without coercion just to name a few. Our ability to collectively feel and know that our personhood is valued equally contributes to positive peace in our immediate communities. This trait furthers strong economic growth, increased labor participation, individual health, income and wealth building and the general well being of that community. Conversely, the lack of these attributes has been shown to result in the breakdown of community structure and strength resulting in failed societies and failed states.

To put it another way, marginalization leads to conflict which leads to wars which is the outright manifestation of a lack of peace. Reversing this is where peacebuilding comes in.

Peacebuilding is what we do when we step into someone else’s world, seek to understand what their needs are and respectfully ask how we can help them get to where they are going. It does not require a national or international mandate. Peacebuilding can start with helping a mother who is the head of her household access dignified housing, so she and her dependents can thrive and become Peacebuilders as well. Peacebuilding can just as easily be voting in favor building a house of worship whose participants hold a faith different than your own. Peacebuilding has also recently taken the form of acknowledging the need to reinforce safe and respectful interactions between law enforcement and the members of the communities they serve. And if we thoughtfully consider the ripple effects of the choices we make, especially the ones regarding individuals who are physically differentiated from us, we see an immediate impact in our community’s ability to retain all characteristics of a peaceful community. As such we must all be Peacebuilders.

Significant promise comes packaged in significant challenge. In 2018 we can collectively embrace the notion that my neighbor’s peace is my peace. By doing so we are acknowledging the truth that we exist in an ecosystem where we all need each other, where success is not an individual accomplishment rather it is dependent on a positively peaceful society. With that in mind, and with the proposed paradigm shift surrounding how we think of “giving back”, may 2018 be the year we all want it to be. And may it reflect to us the truth of our personal contributions as community Peacebuilders.

With many thanks to Dr Catherine Odera who's tireless work created the phrase "My neighbor's peace is my peace".

In recognition of the tremendous work by Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta Affiliate who make a measurable impact in Atlanta by providing excellently designed and contructed homes to individuals who otherwise wouln't be able to buy them. In doing so they have created entire communities filled with new life and diversity. The picture above was taken after a house dedication earlier this year with the home owner front and center. To the right is Irene Kagika, a brilliant and dedicated Architectural Engineer who served as House Leader at the time. Finally to the right is CEO Lisa Gordon whose dedication to the community of Atlanta spans numerous years. Her tenacity in creating the right housing solutions is comparable to none. To these amazing women doing amazing work we owe a gratitude of thanks.