How to Make Peace in Your Community

Promoting Peace Among Your Neighbors

Become more familiar with your community. Getting to know individuals from many different backgrounds and walks of life within your community may give you a new perspective on the problems facing your community. Some ways to get to know the people and places in your community might include: Introducing yourself to people. Make a habit of introducing yourself to the people you meet in daily life. Show genuine interest in them, and ask them questions about their lives, jobs, and families. Connecting with neighbors. Ask neighbors you know to come and visit you, or visit them yourself. Ask about their lives, work, health and family, and get their perspective on local problems. Visiting new places. Visit businesses and public areas that you don't typically visit. Take note of changes in your community as well, such as new neighbors, local construction projects, or newly opened or closed businesses. Walking around your neighborhood. If it is safe to do so, walk or take public transit instead of driving a car. This will allow you to see, hear and experience your community and its members more intimately.

Plan a peaceful event. If you want to raise awareness about problems facing your community and encourage peace in your community, then organizing a peaceful event is a good option. Try banding together with some local community members to put together an event, such as a community picnic, a food drive for a local food bank, a peaceful protest, or a walk through your community to raise awareness about a problem your community is facing. If you don't feel ready to plan an event, then you could also organize a small meeting. Try planning a meeting and inviting some other community members who are interested in making your community a more peaceful place. Use the meeting to share your concerns and discuss possible solutions.

Explore volunteer opportunities. Volunteering is great way to help your community and it may also be a good way to promote peace. Local anti-violence organizations may have a need for volunteers in outreach or other programs. However, don't limit your considerations just to organizations focusing on violence. Any opportunity to better the community, from volunteering to pick up trash to participating in after-school programs for children, will allow you to meet new people in your community, and promote a sense of togetherness and cooperation. Look into volunteering at a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or animal shelter. Try visiting local organizations' websites or calling to see if they are looking for volunteers.

Make sure you have current contact information for your neighbors. Encourage everyone in your neighborhood to do the same, and be sure to provide your own contact information to your neighbors. This will allow you to quickly get in touch with your neighbors when a problem arises. It will also make it easier to check on people in your community and maintain your relationships with them. Here are some suggestions for information to gather: Home or cell phone numbers Workplace addresses and phone numbers E-mail addresses, or social media accounts Contact info for neighbors' immediate family, in case of emergency

Attend and participate in community events. Community events give community members the opportunity to get to know one another in a safe, positive environment, creating a sense of community spirit and cooperation. Make it a habit to seek out opportunities to gather with your fellow community members, such as at a neighborhood barbeque, school event, church function, festival, or charity drive. If you can, consider offering to help set up, run, or clean up after the event.

Go to local government meetings. Most towns, and most communities within larger cities, have some form of local government or citizen council that holds meetings that are open to the public. At these meetings, community members have an opportunity to voice concerns and learn about changes in local laws and policies. Attending these meetings is a great way to learn about what's happening in your community and to voice your concerns. Depending on what community you live in, there may be many meetings that you have a right to attend, including city council meetings, meetings of other government committees, and meetings of public organizations such as parent teacher associations. Online resources, such as https://www.usa.gov/local-governments, are available to help you locate public offices, services and meetings. You can also contact your local city council, chamber of commerce, or other local government organization for help.

Exploring Your Community's History

Visit your local library. To fully understand the problems facing your community, you must make an effort to explore its past. Your local library is an excellent place to start such a study. Ask a librarian for help in finding books, news records and other resources regarding the history of your neighborhood, town or city. Try to answer questions such as: When, and by whom, was the community founded? What businesses, cultures, religions, or political movements were influential in the founding of the community? How has the population of the community changed over time? Has it grown or shrunk? Has it become more or less wealthy? How did major events in the world, such as wars or financial crises, affect the community and its residents? How has the role of the community in the larger region changed over time? For example, many communities suffer serious consequences when once prominent industries or businesses (railroads, manufacturing plants, etc.) closes or leaves the region.

Contact a local historical society. Historical and preservation organizations are common in many communities, and they are a great resource for historical information and documents. Ask your local historical society for help finding information about the history of the community, a particular neighborhood, a building, a historical period, or an event that interests you. For help finding a local historical society, consult an online directory, such as http://www.preservationdirectory.com/preservationorganizationsresources/organizationcategories.aspx

Learn about regional and national history. No community exists in a vacuum. Learning about the history of your state, region or country will deepen your understanding of how your community fits into the world. You will also learn how major political shifts and military conflicts may have affected your community. Most people learn about history in courses at school or in college, but you don't have to be a student to gain access to the subject. Your local library contains all the resources you'll need for a lifetime of learning. Ask your librarian for recommendations.

Get the perspective of community members. Don't limit your exploration of your community's history to written materials. Other members of your community are wonderful resources, especially elder members of your community. Talking with someone who has lived through the changes in your community can provide an intimate perspective into the community's history. Make a habit of asking those who have lived in your community for a long time about their lives and memories. You can ask questions like: What big changes have occurred in the community during their life? Has the state of the community improved or become worse in recent times? What steps have people taken in the past to improve the community, and were they successful? What, in their experience, are the causes of unrest in the community? Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey, Entertainment Mogul Create community through human connection and by finding common ground. "No matter who we are or what we look like or what we may believe, it is both possible and, more importantly, it becomes powerful to come together in common purpose and common effort."

Dealing with Violence in Your Community

Investigate the causes of violence in your community. One way to address the violence in your community is to identify the driving forces behind the violence. These may include things like a lack of jobs, which might be causing members of the community to turn to violence for survival. Or, the cause might be a lack of family support, which might be causing kids to spend more time on the streets. By investigating the potential causes of the violence in your community, you can work on some tailored solutions to the violence. For example, a lack of jobs might be due to poor educational opportunities for people in your community. Therefore, improving educational opportunities might be the best way to prepare people for jobs and cut down on violent crimes. Or, if many of the kids in your community spend their spare time on the streets, then building a community center or increasing the programming at a local community center may provide the kids with somewhere to go after school.

Make a plan with your neighbors to deal with violent situations. This is a great way to start organizing your community, and will help promote unity and communication. What you talk about and plan for will depend on your particular community, but here are some suggestions: Discuss how more vulnerable community members, such as elders, can be cared for and protected from violence. Arrange carpooling or offer to escort those who need to leave their home, but are fearful to go out alone. If children are present in the neighborhood, have a frank discussion with your neighbors about where the children can gather should they find themselves in danger.

Find out what has worked for other communities. If your community is experiencing significant problems with violence and social unrest, then it might be a good idea to find out what measures have helped other communities. There are likely several things that will need to happen before things improve, but finding out what worked and what did not may help you to generate ideas for your own community. Try looking into violence prevention nonprofits for help and information. While the availability of such programs depends on where you live, thousands of organizations exist to assist communities struggling with violence and unrest. Contacting a local anti-violence or community organizing nonprofit is a great way to find out about what others are doing to make positive changes in their communities.

Talk to those around you about the causes of violence. It is important for you to get as complete a perspective as possible, but remember that unrest in a community often has many causes, all interacting in a complicated way. Always be open to new explanations and perspectives. Be open and honest in discussing issues of violence with your family, friends and neighbors. Conversations about such important, urgent issues can become heated, but do not shy away from disagreement. Instead, try to listen to what others have to say, and try to understand their perspectives before responding. Community leaders such as religious or school officials, business owners, community organizers, and local politicians are another great resource. Ask about other people's personal experiences with violence, or other community issues. Ask them what they think has caused these issues, and what they think should be done to solve them.

Explore educational opportunities. If you community is facing major problems with violence and you want to learn more about how you can help, then you may want to consider taking some classes that may help you make a difference. Many anti-violence non-profit organizations offer training in conflict mediation, community organizing, or other related topics. These courses will provide you with new ways of thinking about community problems, and give you the tools you'll need to help build a stronger community. Classes in community organizing are offered at many universities and colleges, and can sometimes be taken remotely over the internet.