Learn about these inspiring peace zones, discover resources on how to build different types of peace zones, and make your own!
by Taylor O’Connor | 7 August 2024
Photo by Kylie Lugo on Unsplash
“We are going to have to find ways of organizing ourselves cooperatively, sanely, scientifically, harmonically and in regenerative spontaneity with the rest of humanity around the earth…. We are not going to be able to operate our spaceship earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common.” – Buckminster Fuller
When I got my Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies I remember learning about zones of peace as a way to promote a culture of peace. We heard of some examples of local groups designating their town or village as a zone of peace amidst a war zone or how some groups would establish a ‘peace corridor’ where people could move freely in a war zone without threat of violence.
While the concept was interesting, I remember that there were few examples that could be provided. Most of this was happening at a very local level and in war-torn contexts so there was very little documentation of these examples.
But I found this to be a powerful and inspiring concept, and an idea worth spreading. I feel like just knowing about the concept of establishing a zone of peace and learning about some examples can inspire people and communities to take action and establish their own zones of peace. Even better is to have some great examples to inspire innovative ideas and resources to use.
So over the years, I’ve collected examples of these as I encountered them and am excited to share them with you here.
What I’ve learned from exploring examples zones of peace in cities, towns and communities
First, I have seen that there are few initiatives that explicitly designate themselves as building zones of peace or peace corridors. This is an activity that happens in some contexts, but seldom does it have an established organization behind it.
But I have found many examples of organizations that are building zones of peace in different ways even through they usually don’t explicitly use that term. And often they have their own frameworks, resources and tools that anyone can use to establish zones of peace in their city, town, school, or community.
There is no one common set of tools, resources and approaches for this, but in this blog post you will find lots of inspiring examples and I encourage you to find what is inspiring to you and explore what resrouces they have.
Since there are so many examples related to zones of peace and places of peace as approaches to building a culture of peace I have broken this blog down into three sections, and also I have other blog posts that are very related, but with a different focus. See also my blog post on Peace Parks, Landmarks and Places for Peace (forthcoming) or my other blog post on Peace Museums. You may even find my blog post on peace festivals interesting.
Initiatives Building Zones of Peace in our Cities and Communities
So this section is broken down into three parts:
- Zones of peace as cities, towns and communities of peace
- Architects, designers and engineers for pace
- Initiatives creating and supporting peace sites
I did not include organizations focused solely on community building if they did not have an explicit focus on peace.
Zones of peace as cities, towns and communities of peace
In this section I have included four great initiatives creating cities, towns and communities as zones of peace. Each has their own approach and often their websites include frameworks, tools, resources, articles and examples to help you cultivate your city, town or community as a zone of peace.
The Mayors for Peace (1982) | global network
Mayors for Peace is a solidarity network of mayors around the world committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons and the promotion of lasting peace worldwide. It was founded in 1982 by Hiroshima city Mayor Takeshi Araki who called on mayors around the world to support one another through the establishment of an inter-city solidarity network. Participating members support a covenant of action for the abolition of nuclear weapons. With over 8,000 member cities, Mayors for Peace amplifies the voices of local leaders and empowers communities to take action towards a more just and peaceful world.
The International Cities of Peace | global network
International Cities of Peace is an all-volunteer network dedicated to facilitating the establishment of Cities of Peace worldwide. Members include hundreds of self-established Cities of Peace in large and small cities, towns, villages, and neighborhoods on all six continents. The network supports its members to take practical and impactful actions to increase the safety, prosperity, and quality of life for all in their community. They believe that every city has within it a legacy of peace whether it is by a historical event or by a local peace heroes or groups who have made unique contributions to peace. They have a framework and a package of tools and resources that they share to support members to discover their city’s unique legacy of peace and to highlight it and promote it.
Wahat al-Salam / Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace) (1970)| Israel/Palestine
Oasis of Peace is a village where Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel join forces to champion justice, peace, and equality in their country and beyond. The community was established in 1970 by Fr. Bruno Hussar to be a model of equality, mutual respect, and partnership, daring to challenge the status quo of racism, discrimination, and ongoing conflict. With its own educational institutions focused on social and political change, village members coordinate a variety of peace, justice, and reconciliation projects. The village started with 70 families with a vision to grow to 150 families, igniting hope and paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow.
The Nuclear Free Peacemaking Association (1981) | New Zealand
Nuclear Free Peacemaking Association is a network where passionate individuals and organizations come together to actively promote disarmament and foster a world free from nuclear weapons. They have an initiative on their website that organizes and promotes projects to develop the peace heritage of cities in New Zealand. The website includes some great examples of peace city projects they have led.
Architects, designers and engineers for pace
This section is a little-known approach to building peace which is related to building and engineering for peace. I’m not an expert in this so it is new for me to learn about, but in their websites they describe how architects, designers, engineers and planners can build structures that promote peace, justice and human rights. Some of them also engage in policy advocacy for the promotion of peace, justice and rights.
The Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (1981) | global network
Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility is a collective of architects, designers and planners that advocate for a society where investments are made in buildings that lift people up and where human rights are a thing of the past. They empower design professionals in their network to get involved in supporting and leading efforts for a more peaceful, just and equitable world. Their mission stresses the importance of their members to be socially engaged highlighting the linkages between peace, environmental protection, ecological building, social justice, and the development of healthy communities. They advocate against the involvement of design professionals from participation in projects that violate human rights like prison systems and border walls, and they support members with tools they need to plan buildings that help vulnerable populations and disadvantaged people realize their basic rights.
The Architects for Peace (2003) | global network
Architects for Peace is a humanitarian organization that serves as a forum for debating political, environmental, and social issues within the professional urban context. By connecting architects and designers worldwide, Architects for Peace empowers individuals to use their creative prowess to challenge the status quo and build a more equitable and harmonious world for all. Their members write articles on their website, publish resources, and give talks at events about how architects can work for peace.
Engineers for Social Responsibility (1983) | global network
Engineers for Social Responsibility is a global network of engineers that promote the humane uses of technology. They advocate for policies and controls relating to nuclear arms and other military technology and serve to mobilize engineers against destructive uses of technology and for peaceful uses. They host events and educational activities on topics relevant to engineering for peace/war to inform the public about pressing issues. One example is a recent virtual event where they hosted discussions on drone technology’s societal impact. During their early days a main focus was the abolition of nuclear weapons, and they have since broadened the scope of their work.
Initiatives creating and supporting peace sites
Each of the examples in this section is a resource to support people and organizations to create sites of peace in your cities, towns and communities.
World Citizen Peace
World Citizen Peace promotes global citizenship and fostering a culture of peace worldwide. Their activities center around three themes: peace education, peace sites and peace ambassadors. They have their own framework to support individuals and organizations to establish peace sites. For them, an International Peace Site can be an organization, school, home, or community that makes the decision to live out the following Five Peace Actions: 1) SEEK peace within yourself and others, 2) REACH OUT in service, 3) PROTECT the environment, 4) RESPECT diversity, 5) BE a responsible citizen of the world.
European Network of Places of Peace | Europe
Places of Peace is a European network dedicated to heritage sites where peace treaties were signed, aiming to commemorate historical events and foster a culture of peace. Members of the organization work collaboratively to promote these significant places, build a culture of peace, and share their common historical and intangible heritage. Their activities include celebrating peace milestones, organizing exhibitions, and connecting different Places of Peace to promote peace and understanding.
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (1999) | global network
The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is a network of historic sites, place-based museums, memorial sites where atrocities and other traumatic events have occurred. Sites of Conscience provide safe spaces to remember and preserve even the most traumatic memories, but they enable their visitors to make connections between the past and related contemporary human rights issues. The coalition has over 370 members in more than 65 countries. Their main activities include building the capacity of members to develop and sustain their sites as museums, exhibitions and educational sites so that visitors can use the lessons of the past to find innovative solutions today.
May Peace Prevail On Earth International and The Peace Pole Project (1955) | Japan/global
May Peace Prevail On Earth International and The Peace Pole Project promote the message, “May Peace Prevail On Earth”. In their efforts to spread the message, they aim to bring people of various cultures, faith traditions and political ideals together as one united global heart and mind. Through this message, they hope to build a a grassroots global movement to inspire, and re-awaken the inherent consciousness of love, peace and harmony which exists in every one of us. Their core activity is The Peace Pole Project where they sell peace poles with the message on them in various languages. It is estimated that there are over 200,000 Peace Poles in the world on every continent which have been planted over many decades. They also have a map of peace poles on the website.
Make your own zone of peace
I hope you found this blog post useful and inspiring, and that you may find some resources in here to help you build your own zone of peace or place of peace. I encourage you to go through the examples in this blog post and find something that is interesting or inspiring to you, then go to their website and see what articles, tools and resources they have which you can use to make a zone of peace of your own.
And if you make a zone of peace, please email me to tell me about it. I may include it as an example in this blog post or another.
If you found this article helpful and want to find more blog posts like this mapping organizations that build peace across a wide array of themes be sure to check out our Resources page!
If there is a zone of peace that is missing on this list and you think it should be added, please submit it at the link HERE. I periodically update my resource posts and use these inputs to help me.
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