“I believe that hope for the future depends on each of us taking nonviolence into our hearts and minds and developing new and imaginative structures which are nonviolent and life-giving for all.”
—Mairead Maguire, Nobel Laureate (1976)
RESPONDING TO THE CALL
No human conflict is so entrenched that it cannot be transformed through the commitment to repair, the fortitude of acknowledging and redressing past harms, and the collective creativity required to build a more just and peaceful world.
As the words and deeds of Nobel Laureates, Mairead Maguire exhort us, we must all be peacemakers. Each of us has the ability to begin transforming broken relationships and systems.
The Peace Appeal responds to this call for us all to be peacemakers by joining with communities seeking to transform conflict. Our peace work is focused on three complementary strategies:
PARTNER WITH PEACEMAKERS
to transform social and political conflict through structured dialogue at national and local levels.
IDENTIFY & ASSIST LOCAL EFFORTS
to ameliorate the suffering of those most immediately affected by violent conflict.
BUILD OUR COLLECTIVE CAPACITY
through knowledge sharing tools and new media developed for local contexts.
ACCOMPANY WITH SHARED VALUES
(Humanity Toward Others)
REINFORCE SUPPORT OF LOCAL OWNERSHIP
INCLUSIVE
embracing the diversity of national stakeholders
AUTHENTIC
reflecting the cultures, traditions and needs of local stakeholders
INDEPENDENT
external allies serving these processes must preserve strict independence while understanding and engaging with each party’s interests
ADAPTIVE
Peace initiatives must consistently adapt and innovate in response to their changing environment