The Strength That Exists in Our Communities
When we look at our communities, what do we notice first? Perhaps we see the challenges people are facing, the tensions that exist, or the changes we hope to bring about. These are important parts of community life and often motivate us to act.
Yet there is another question worth asking: What is already strong in our communities?
What relationships bring people together? What knowledge, experiences, traditions, and resources are already present? What is working that we might learn from and build upon?
In October, the 2026 Peace Practice Alliance (PPA) explored Community Peace, considering how peace takes shape through the relationships, shared experiences, and collective efforts that sustain our communities. Building on our explorations of Personal and Interpersonal Peace, participants extended their practices of awareness and deep listening to the communities they belong to and serve.
Recognizing What Is Already Present
Participants explored Appreciative Inquiry and Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), two approaches that invite us to recognize and build upon the strengths, relationships, knowledge, and resources already present within communities. Together, these approaches encourage us to explore what communities value, what is working well, and how existing strengths can support collective action.
Reflecting on her community in Nigeria, PPA participant Emem shared:
“Through this activity, I have come to appreciate that our communities have many resources that we sometimes overlook. Beyond money and material support, we have people with valuable skills, experience, wisdom, and a willingness to help others.”
Emem highlighted existing peace practices, including community meetings, family discussions, traditional methods of settling disagreements, and neighbors supporting one another during difficult times. She also reflected on how schools, volunteers, community members, and local organizations can work together to build on these strengths and promote peace.
Practicing Community Peace Together
Across the PPA, participants bring rich experiences from communities around the world, working in education, youth leadership, interfaith engagement, community healing, and many other areas of peace practice. The PPA itself offers an opportunity to put these ideas into practice as a global community of peacebuilders. During one of our October gatherings, participants reflected on the gifts and strengths they had discovered in one another and what helped them feel connected and supported within the PPA community.
Their reflections highlighted empathetic listening, courage, vulnerability, patience, respect, and openness to different perspectives. Participants spoke about the freedom to express themselves, the warmth and laughter shared in gatherings, and the opportunity to learn alongside peacebuilders from around the world. Many described how being heard without judgment, having space to reflect, and recognizing shared experiences across different backgrounds had strengthened their sense of belonging. One participant from South Sudan in particular shared how transformative it was to be part of such a community. Having others' support and solidarity brought him energy and hope, and in turn his own work supporting refugees.
These reflections offered a meaningful reminder that Community Peace grows through the ways we listen, recognize one another's contributions, create space for different voices, and build relationships rooted in care and intentionality.
An Invitation to Practice
This month, we invite you to practice alongside our PPA community.
Think about a community you belong to. It might be your neighborhood, workplace, faith community, school, or a group connected by a shared purpose. Consider these questions:
What is already strong and working well in this community?
Who or what helps people feel connected and supported?
What gifts, strengths, or resources might deserve greater recognition?
How might these existing strengths help the community move toward a shared hope or possibility?
You might bring one of these questions into a conversation with someone in your community and listen to what you discover. Community Peace is something we practice together. It grows as we recognize one another's contributions, strengthen relationships, and create opportunities for shared action.
Sometimes, a meaningful step toward building peace begins with learning to see more fully what is already present.