The People Who Need to Build Peace Are the People Who Need to Build Peace

Date:


January 17, 2025

Peace is deeply personal. For some, it’s the silence after years of conflict; for others, it’s the rebuilding of trust in a fractured community. Peace looks different to everyone because it’s tied to our stories, our struggles, and our hopes for the future. And at Search for Common Ground, we believe the people best equipped to build peace are those who have lived the realities of conflict, who know its toll and understand its complexities.

That’s why over 90% of our staff come from the communities we serve. They are mothers, fathers, students, and teachers—people who have walked the same streets, faced the same challenges, and dreamed the same dreams of a better future.

Why Grassroots Matters

When peacebuilders come from the community, they bring an authenticity that cannot be replicated. They speak the language—not just the dialects, but the cultural nuances and unspoken understandings. They know how to navigate the invisible boundaries of identity, history, and hurt.

This grassroots approach matters because peace isn’t something that can be imposed from the outside. It has to grow from within. Grassroots peacebuilders:

  • Foster Trust: People are more likely to engage with someone who understands their context and shares their lived experiences.
  • Navigate Complexity: Local peacebuilders are attuned to the shifting dynamics and underlying causes of conflict, enabling them to find solutions that resonate deeply with the community.
  • Sustain Change: Solutions created by those directly involved are more likely to last because they are rooted in the realities of the community.

Peacebuilding: A Shared and Personal Journey

Peacebuilding isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. It’s personal and multifaceted, shaped by the needs, histories, and aspirations of each community. For some, peace might mean rebuilding homes; for others, it’s the chance to share meals across a once-divided table.

Our staff understand this because they, too, have their own definitions of peace. Their work isn’t just a job—it’s a calling born of their own journeys. They carry the weight of their communities’ struggles and the hope that peace can be achieved.

Take, for example, our work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where local staff lead initiatives to rebuild trust between communities affected by decades of violence. Or in Yemen, where our teams navigate complex tribal dynamics to create spaces for dialogue. These efforts are possible because our staff are not outsiders—they are insiders, trusted and respected by those they serve.

The Ripple Effect of Grassroots Peacebuilding

When peace is built from the ground up, it creates a ripple effect. A single act of dialogue can inspire a cascade of understanding. A restored relationship can strengthen a whole community. A locally-led initiative can ignite a global conversation.

Search for Common Ground’s grassroots peacebuilding model is built on this principle: empowering communities to lead their own journeys toward peace. It’s not just about ending conflict—it’s about transforming relationships, rebuilding trust, and inspiring hope for the future.

Peace Is Built by Those Who Carry It

The people who need to build peace are the people who need to build peace. It’s not a redundancy—it’s a truth. Peace is carried by those who understand its value because they’ve lived its absence.

By supporting grassroots peacebuilders, we’re not just investing in individuals—we’re investing in communities and in the belief that lasting peace is possible when it’s built by those who know it best.

Let us remember that peace is personal, but it’s also universal. It’s found in the spaces we create together, the trust we rebuild, and the hope we nurture in every corner of the world. At Search for Common Ground, this is the work we carry forward every day, with our communities, for our communities.



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