Peacebuilding Organizations and Projects
Peacebuilding happens when individuals, communities and organizations work to create a culture of Peace throughout the year. There are numerous examples of ongoing Peacebuilding activities taking place in different parts of the world. Here are a few:
Agape Foundation
www.agapefdn.org
Agape Foundation founded in 1969 is a non-profit tax-exempt foundation that raises and distributes funds to groups working for non-violent social change. Agape provides seed grants, loans and fiscal sponsorship to organizations addressing the following six areas: Peace, Human Rights, Environmental Protection, Economic Justice, Progressive Arts & Media and Grassroots Organizing Support. The Foundation offers an Annual Peace Prize in recognition of individuals and organizations based in Northern California.
Art Miles Mural Project & Art Miles Shoes of Hope
www.artmiles.org
The Art Miles Mural Project (AMMP) is a ten-year movement combining the efforts of children and adults worldwide to promote global Peace and harmony through mural art. Each hand and every mural aims to create and express a global voice to develop and advocate art rather than violence, cooperation instead of war and the continuation of life rather than death. Mile by mile across countries, borders and oceans, the Art Miles Mural Project has become a resonating artistic symbol for Peace.
Association of World Citizens
www.worldcitizens.org
The Association of World Citizens (AWC) is an international Peace organization with branches in 50 countries. The goal is working with people, progressive governments, and international institutions to create a democratic world community with global governance capable of maintaining lasting Peace and justice through international law. The key to achieving this goal is for people to think and act as responsible Citizens of the World.
Common Passion
www.commonpassion.org
Common Passion is an initiative with the mission to create social and environmental harmony through science-based applications of collective consciousness. Some of its objectives are: to empower individuals and communities to actively engage their creative capacities to produce social and environmental harmony, to create an around-the-clock, around-the-globe network of interfaith, inter-tradition Peace-creating activists applying collective intention toward social and environmental harmony, and to organize and sponsor community and global consciousness-related events and study their influence on society and the environment.
The Declaration of Peace
www.declarationofpeace.org
The Declaration of Peace is a grassroots non-violent action campaign calling on the US government to establish a comprehensive plan to end the US war and occupation in Iraq. It is working to stop US military escalation in Iraq, to defund the war, to bring the troops home safely, and to support a comprehensive Iraqi-led Peace process.
Earthdance (The Global Dance Festival for Peace)
www.earthdance.org
Earthdance is a non-profit organization with the mission to promote Peace by joining participants worldwide in a synchronized Prayer for Peace and to support humanitarian causes through the global language of music and dance. Earthdance has grown to become the world's largest simultaneous music and dance event. Every year, in alignment with the International Day of Peace, over 200,000 people unite in dance with hundreds of thousands more joining online.
Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD)
www.imtd.org
The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD) is a non-profit organization with the mission to promote a systems-based approach to Peacebuilding and to facilitate the transformation of deep-rooted social conflict through education, conflict resolution training and communication. IMTD promote the breaking down of stereotypes and other barriers, provide differing groups with the skills to transform how they view each other and facilitate the development of mutual understanding, trust and reconciliation.
Jazz for Peace
www.jazzforpeace.org
The Jazz for Peace band has performed over 350 Benefit Concerts to raise funds, publicity and awareness for outstanding organizations in need worldwide. In addition, Jazz for peace performs educational programs bringing music and Jazz back into the schools and donates musical instruments to underprivileged children.
The Peace Alliance (Campaign to Establish a Department of Peace)
www.thepeacealliance.org
The Peace Alliance is a non-partisan citizen action organization representing a growing constituency for Peace. A 501(c)4 organization, their mission is to empower civic activism for a culture of Peace. Their vision is a future in which the practical programs and principles of Peacebuilding are the bedrock of our personal, national and global interest and investment. Their goal is to take the field of Peacebuilding from the margins of the political and societal dialogue and bring it to its rightful place: central to policymaking, investment and understanding. Current focus is the campaign for a cabinet-level US Department of Peace.
The Peace Pod
www.songserverworldwide.com/music-group-5.html
Peace-inspired podcasting and music online.
The Peace School
www.peaceschool.org
The International Association for World Peace, known as the Peace School, is a non-profit, equal opportunity, educational organization headquartered in Chicago since 1972. The Peace School's mission is to help individuals of all ages practice Peace in everyday life by attaining Peace in mind, body and spirit, creating the foundation for a broader Peace in our families, schools, communities, nations and the world. To nurture individual Peace and harmony, The Peace School teaches us a unique blend of meditation, exercise and Peace breathing and sponsors public Peacebuilding activities. The Peace School is an independent educational organization and has no political or religious affiliations.
The Peace University in Costa Rica
www.upeace.org
Headquartered in Costa Rica, the United Nations-mandated University of Peace was established in December 1980 as a Treaty Organization by the UN General Assembly. As determined in the Charter of the University, the mission of the University of Peace is: "to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for Peace with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world Peace and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations".
Performing and Fine Artists for World Peace
www.artistsandpeace.org
Performing and Fine Artists for World Peace is a non-profit arts and educational organization created in 1986 on the island of Kaua'i. Their mission is to integrate the arts into the community to affect positive change. They promote the use of visual and performing arts to address social and environmental issues. These include the protection of the environment and natural resources, the promotion of cultural understanding through artistic exchanges and support for human rights and indigenous peoples' rights. Programs include The International Month of Peace, Caring for the Earth Month and International Peace Gardens.
Roots & Shoots
www.rootsandshoots.org
Roots & Shoots, a program of the Jane Goodall Institute, is a powerful, youth-driven, global network of more than 8,000 groups in almost 100 countries. Together youth of all ages are taking action to improve our world through service learning projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment and the human community.
Six Billion Paths to Peace
www.sixbillionpaths.org/about.html
Six Billion Paths to Peace represents the idea that it is possible to inspire new reverberations of Peace if we each step up and investigate our daily actions and make a commitment to offer our unique contributions to the world. Their motto: "What's Yours?" Invites people to reflect upon how they can contribute to Peace in this moment, in this day, in this lifetime.
United Religions Initiative (URI)
www.uri.org
United Religions Initiative (URI) was founded in 2000 by an extraordinary global community committed to promoting enduring, daily interfaith cooperation and to ending religiously motivated violence. Today the URI includes thousands of members in over 65 countries representing more than 100 religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions. Members from diverse backgrounds pioneer interfaith dialogue and Peacebuilding skills. Its core organizational principles include inclusive membership, self-organizing initiatives and decentralized governance.
Vermont Peace Academy
www.vermontpeaceacademy.org
Vermont Peace Academy (VPA) seeks to nourish the spirit of Peace and prepare people with the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful peacemakers. Their mission is to encourage the teaching, learning and practice of Peace as a vehicle for individual and cultural transformation. VPA is an inclusive, diverse learning community dedicated to the advancement of persona, interpersonal and global Peace. VPA was created to support the development of Peace education programs serving individuals, schools, universities and communities throughout the state of Vermont.
Veterans for Peace (VFP)
www.veteransforpeace.org
Veterans for Peace is a non-governmental organization working for Peace and justice through non-violence. The organization includes men and women veterans of all eras and duty stations including from the Spanish Civil War, World War II and current Iraq wars. The members draw on their own personal experiences and perspectives gained as veterans to raise public awareness of the true costs and consequences of militarism and war - and to seek peaceful, effective alternatives.
World Peace Prayer Society (WPPS)
www.worldpeace.org
The World Peace Prayer Society (WPPS) is a not-for-profit organization. It is a non-sectarian, non-political organization associated with the Department of Public Information at the United Nations. The work of WPPS encompasses the globe in ways that support Peace, harmony and goodwill among all citizens. The mission of WPPS is to spread the Universal Peace Message and Prayer, May Peace Prevail on Earth, far and wide to embrace the lands and people of this Earth.