Crossroads for Peace

A forum for the ingredients of peace making to be discovered, examined, and learned, by anyone.

“Peacemaking is something we can and must learn to deal with the today’s world. It is simply essential.” An early reviewer of this project.

The challenge: What if…

• We had the ability to capture the wisdom of the peacemakers of our world?
• We understood how our world’s peacemakers created the conditions for peace?
• We had an educational resource to bring this wisdom to the world? 
• We knew how to recognize peacemakers even when they are in our own backyards?

The cornerstone of the American Experience, and desire of every country in the world is to create the conditions that ensure peace for their societies. The globalization of the economy is mixing peoples of different cultural backgrounds to live and work together. The loss of heritage and identity in such a global economy causes anxiety among displaced peoples. Yet many interrelated and often subtle social and societal ingredients when mixed together, create stable and peaceful coexistence between diverse peoples. This proposal seeks to create a forum for the world, where those ingredients that lead to peace can be discovered, examined, learned, and absorbed by anyone.

Our approach will initially target those in peacemaking fields and where actions will help the project gather momentum. These early audiences are some of the wisdom keepers:  (1) the Nobel Peace Prize winners who lack a consolidated vehicle for helping the children of the world, (2) ambassadors who often struggle to meet the demands of their home countries while seeking peaceful solutions, (3) local public servants, and (4) local community members. Beneficiaries can come from those working in civil society or international arenas. But young people will have options that are designed for them to become peacemakers as well.

The most ancient of technologies, symbols and storytelling, are rarely harnessed specifically for peace. Peacemakers and their stories are often lost, when the lessons embedded in them are rich in the answers needed for the creation of peace. This project will be unique in the world, because it will create a synergy between story, symbol, and experiential knowledge. Moreover, it is designed to harness innovative knowledge processes, know-how, and technology of the 21st century in which we all live.

 “Can I bring my aldermen to your Center – now?” The mayor of Frederick, Maryland, at the conclusion of our presentation of the concept.