As the United States grapples with political polarization, we are seized with our differences and disagreements. The pandemic exacerbated our disconnection from each other. We are struggling to find common ground and engage in meaningful peacebuilding conversations.
Under these conditions, a country can be at greater risk for political violence. That risk is evident today in rising hate crimes and threats against public officials such as members of Congress, judges, election workers, and school board members.
According to March 2024 polling by PBS NewsHour, one in five adults believe Americans may have to resort to violence to get the country back on track. The number of Americans who support violent protests has doubled over the last decade.
When you add in that nearly half of Americans distrust the government, and we have easy access to guns…
…the potential for political violence increases.
When public figures and fast-spreading disinformation promote hatred and division…
…the potential for violence increases even more.
Yet, most Americans do NOT believe that violence is a solution to domestic political divisions. Many American citizens and residents want to help our country, promote peace, and reduce conflict but don’t know how.
At Peacebuilders, we believe that peace is possible, and it begins within ourselves and our communities. Through peacebuilding practices like nonviolent communication, we can learn to listen, understand, and reconnect.
By working together to strengthen the bonds of respect, empathy, and trust among us, we can build our collective resilience against attempts to divide us. Promoting peace through everyday actions is how we turn this vision into reality.
The more we embrace and promote the values of love, nonviolence, and unity across our traditional divides, the greater our chances of curbing political violence.
To help our country, I’m calling on you to take the peacebuilder pledge and become part of a growing community of peacebuilders.
Peacebuilders unite!
Hello friends, I’m glad you found me!
Because I grew up in a home where I didn’t feel safe, I have spent my life trying to figure out how to build peace around me.
Everywhere I went, people were skeptical. They didn’t believe peace was possible. Even the Director of the Rotary Peace Fellowship program at my graduate school would tell us that peace is an illusion. He believed political actors were always preparing for war and that peace and conflict were inseparable forces in global affairs.
In the lead-up to the 2020 Presidential election, I spotted the same signs of potential violence in my own country that I had seen abroad. So, despite feeling overwhelmed as a single working mom during the pandemic, I felt a strong urge to do something to mitigate the tensions.
When my own family members in rural Pennsylvania were promoting anti-government violence, I countered by organizing a training in nonviolent communication for the community to help de-escalate tensions. In the wake of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, I wrote my first opinion article urging Americans to reach out to each other and stay in dialogue despite our differences. I volunteered as a poll worker for the 2020 election, and I was appointed by the Mayor of Washington D.C. to serve as a Commissioner on the quasi-judicial body that hears appeals when a person’s concealed pistol carry license is revoked. Most importantly, I spent countless hours healing the traumas of my own life and finding a deep sense of peace within myself.
That’s when I realized that we all have a critical role to play in the peacebuilding process and in building peaceful societies. We can’t wait for other people to do the work for us – including our politicians and political parties. We all have the power to take action, and we must. It doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming. We can start by healing ourselves, loving each other better despite our differences, and promoting peace in small ways. We can also serve our communities as neighbors and volunteers in local organizations.
If we all get involved in these personal and local ways, those things will eventually add up to broader social change. It will take a critical mass of Americans doing these things to shift our social norms toward universal love, but I believe we can do it. I hope you believe it too.
Speaking of beliefs, here is my favorite quote from the writings of the Baha’i Faith:
“World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet. Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity’s stubborn clinging to old patterns of behavior, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth.”
Peace is possible, friends, but we must take action to bring it to life. Let’s build a more peaceful society together. Let’s do it for our kids and beyond.
With loving kindness for all,
Danielle
I have been a professional peacebuilder for more than two decades. As the word “peace” increasingly appeared on my resume, I dedicated myself to learning and applying a wide range of peacebuilding approaches and tools that help communities heal, reconnect, and grow stronger together.
Based on my experience promoting peace and democracy around the world as an American diplomat, I know that all people, no matter their background, can contribute to the peacebuilding process right here in the United States. From grassroots peacebuilding activities to policy-level efforts, each step we take makes a difference.
Through the Peacebuilders program and this growing community, we provide insight and inspiration to encourage others to take meaningful action.
You can read more about my global peacebuilding work below and on the About page of this website.
Peacebuilders unite!
As a dedicated peacebuilder and American diplomat for over two decades, Danielle Reiff has been at the forefront of global peacebuilding efforts. She advocated for the rights and inclusion of marginalized groups and civil society in peace and conflict processes across several regions of the world.
Her work includes advancing the peacebuilding process in post-conflict nations, supporting peacebuilding activities in fragile states, and helping to design inclusive approaches to promoting peace and democracy.
Here are a few highlights from her global peacebuilding journey.
During the 2006-2008 Juba peace process for northern Uganda, Danielle supported the Government of Uganda’s peace delegation to organize national consultations on transitional justice. The consultations, which were held in eleven locations nationwide, included distinct opportunities for women, ex-combatants, and children to express their views. In response to popular demand expressed during those consultations, the Government of Uganda agreed to include a truth-telling mechanism in the final peace agreement. Although the Lord’s Resistance Army failed to sign the negotiated agreement, the Government unilaterally established a special court to try war crimes and a transitional justice policy.
In this 2006 photo, Vincent Otti, then Deputy Chief of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), gives Sudan's then Vice President Riek Machar a list of LRA delegates to the peace talks between the LRA and Government of Uganda. (Photo: Matt Brown / AFP-Getty Images)
During the period of instability caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army, the majority of northern Ugandans lived in camps for internally displaced persons while local government structures were disbanded. As security returned to northern Uganda in 2006-2008, local governments needed to be re-established. In this picture, Danielle is monitoring a training of new local government officials on their roles and responsibilities.
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Learn how to be a peacebuilder in your life, your community, and beyond! This guide includes references to and resources from many organizations working to bridge divides in the U.S.
