NOTES TO YOUNG PEACEBUILDERS

This article is based on an interview with Dr. Leaderach.

John Paul Lederach

When I was in my early 20's, I knew that I wanted to work on "peace issues" in some way. This grew out of the religious/theological questions I had about, "How can I be faithful." I had left college early because I wanted to "do things, rather than just think or talk about them." At that time in the early 1970's, there was no defined peacebuilding and conflict transformation field. I really wanted to work in the Middle East, but nothing there worked out.

Instead, I was offered a position working at a hostel for international students in Belgium. At that time, I felt it was a real diversion, not related to what I wanted to do. As it turned out, most of the residents were French-speaking African students. Our long, late-night discussions were often focused on issues of conflict, oppression, and violence. Many of these Africans, coming from countries with much upheaval, felt that change was not possible without violence. During that time, international conflicts that had seemed remote became real to me. I came to understand the importance of political, social, and economic changes needed to bring about peaceful and just societies. I resolved then to study these issues when I returned to school.

Some time later, I was involved in serious interpersonal conflict within a community of close friends and colleagues, and I realized from that experience, the necessity of dealing with the issue of conflict in personal relationships. The big "world peace" issues are not disconnected to interpersonal issues. That experience pushed me to examine the processes of conflict and change in personal relationships.

Those three experiences, all learned when I was relatively young, remain with me until today - theological/value issues, social change, and relationships - all are essential parts of peacebuilding and conflict transformation.

When I was beginning my peacebuilding work, I had enormous energy and enthusiasm - something I see in young peacebuilders today. I sometimes miss the freedom of those days.

As I think about the young people beginning their work in peacebuilding and conflict transformation, I have some fairly simple advice to offer.

Peacebuilding is an extremely broad field, and you can find opportunties for working on peacebuilding and conflict transformation just about anywhere you find yourself.

First, be true to yourself and your passions, but stay as broad as possible. Don't narrow yourself. Peacebuilding is an extremely broad field, and you can find opportunities for working on peacebuilding and conflict transformation just about anywhere you find yourself. There are so many angles and situations to investigate. Don't be over-concerned about finding exactly the right job with the opportunity to do everything you'd like to. Often what seems to be peripheral turns out, in retrospect, to be central. When I agreed to take the job in the international hostel in Belgium, I didn't think it had much to do with my goal of working for peace. Instead, it turned out to be pivotal to the development of my understanding of peace work.

Second, get practical experience whenever you can. Take advantage of all the opportunities you find to practice your skills and passions. Every situation or job has times and places to sharpen your skills and understandings. Be aware of processes that happen, and how relationships and systems work.

Last, make sure you take time to reflect on what you're learning. Make space for serious reflection time. Take yourself and your understandings seriously. You don't have to wait until you've accumulated years of experience to reflect and theorize. Your knowledge and experience are important now.

Dr. John Paul Lederach is the founding director of the Conflict Transformation Program. He's been active in peace building and conflict transformation work for 25 years.