There are many different peace-building initiatives across the world. In 2019, it seems even more pressing than ever to support causes that encourage open dialogues between religious and cultural communities. By establishing strong communication pathways, you can reduce conflict and help otherwise separate communities to find common ground together.
Local community
Peace-building doesn’t have to be as large-scale as a UN initiative; it can be as small as your local community center. Community programs aim to build peace on a much more local scale. Donating to local charities could help keep your local neighborhoods free from crime. Donating to a local charity might see troubled younger members of society find purpose and start giving back to their community.
Younger members of society
As mentioned above, local community peace-building initiatives often benefit the younger members of society the most. The reason for this is those who drop out of school or are isolated to particular communities struggle to broaden their knowledge. The best way to support the younger members of your neighborhood is to support educational programs. Sporting programs are also found to be particularly useful for building teamwork skills among younger people.
Religious community
If you are part of a religious community, then peace-building ensures harmony between fellow religions. It doesn’t benefit any religious community to espouse propaganda or encourage rifts between opposing beliefs. For example, the recent Yael Eckstein salary news has bought around many people commenting on this as opposed to the actual work of her International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Activist salaries are often criticized but by focusing on the crucial work that fellowships and charities carry out, the broader message of peace and support can be adopted. Many larger religious establishments such as the Vatican have even explicitly detailed their support for other religious communities, aiming to dispel discrimination.
Wider benefit
When a country or community is no longer in conflict, you begin to see much wider, and more significant benefits. For example, in Northern Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement saw hitherto opposing politicians work closely together. The profound effect that this has had on tourism, local economy and communication cannot be overstated.
When you invest in a peace-building movement, you also help to establish trust from governments. You will be supporting or funding a cause that proves to world leaders that communities can indeed work together and learn to communicate effectively. This could range from a local government being willing to invest in a sporting program for youth club members to a larger government being prepared to invest in much more widespread, national initiatives.
Peace-building initiatives are everywhere. They might be a small-scale soccer club that helps local youths find a way of cooperating, or it might be a religious organization that aims to bring peace between two warring communities. By showing your support through signing petitions and donating, you may just be providing crucial support that is otherwise absent from local and national governments. There has never been a better reason to support such a cause in 2019.
