There are many ways to be a peacebuilder. The following list identifies just some of the ways in which you can learn more and begin to become engaged in building peace:
There are many ways to be a peacebuilder. The following list identifies just some of the ways in which you can learn more and begin to become engaged in building peace:
- Sign up for your Virtual Passport!: Sign up and earn stamps as you learn more about conflict management and peacebuilding around the world. Share what you learn with your friends, and share your Virtual Passport stamps through Facebook and Twitter!
- Become an informed citizen: Keep up to date on global news and events related to international conflict management through this website (especially our "Mapping Conflict" section), the USIP website, and other news sources. Learn about the role your government plays as a peacebuilder in conflict situations around the world, and share that knowledge with others.
- Get inspired by young peacebuilders around the world: Learn about the impact of armed conflict on young people around the world, and about the ways in which young people are acting as peacebuilders (for instance, the teenagers who participate in the Seeds of Peace summer camp). Find ways to share this information with others, and explore how you can play a role as a peacebuilder, as an individual or with an organization.
- Research famous peacebuilders: Interview your parents, grandparents, or guardians and ask them who the famous peacebuilders of their generation were when they were growing up. Then research these individuals to learn about the role they played in managing conflict and building peace. One source for information is the Nobel Peace Prize website. You can also take our Famous Peacebuilders quiz.
- Use USIP’s educational resources: Ask your teacher to download the Peacebuilding Toolkit for Educators and to use some of the lessons and activities in your classroom.
- Visit USIP for an educational program: Organize a class trip to USIP’s Global Peacebuilding Center to participate in a workshop on international conflict management that integrates multimedia exhibits and peacebuilding activities. To plan your visit, click here.
- Raise peacebuilding issues at your school: At your school, initiate discussions in your classes about issues of international peacebuilding and conflict happening in the world. (See our list of issues for inspiration.) Invite a speaker who has been in a conflict zone or who has worked in a conflict zone to address the students in your school. Contact your local World Affairs Council or the Peace Corps to find speakers in your area.
- Follow Peacebuilding Organizations and People on Social Media: Research organizations or individuals that build peace and follow them on Twitter or Facebook. Share relevant updates with your social networks. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay updated on global issues in peacebuilding and conflict management.
- Start a film or book club: Encourage your friends to read and discuss peacebuilding books or view and discuss peacebuilding films from around the world. One source for ideas is our Recommended Resources list.
- Study Abroad: Explore options for studying abroad, as an opportunity to learn first-hand about other cultures and to gain or hone important cross-cultural communication skills. Find more information about study abroad on our site. Research opportunities for other forms of international exchange and present ideas to your school teachers and administrators for your school.
- Explore peacebuilding careers: Do some research on careers in conflict management and peacebuilding field, and learn about all of the various ways in which peacebuilding takes places around the world every day. Also, view the Witnesses to Peacebuilding videos on this site for inspiration!
- International Day of Peace: Find ways to engage in the International Day of Peace on September 21. Learn more about the day and stay tuned for USIP activities to mark that day at www.buildingpeace.org and www.usip.org.
