See these quotes on peacebuilding and building peace to inspire you and give you ideas for you can use in your peace efforts.
by Taylor O’Connor | 20 September 2024
Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash
There are many quotes out there about peace or world peace as an ideal. But there are few quotes available that are explicitly on peacebuilding and building peace.
We who work in peacebuilding or in any efforts to build peace know well about the processes and challenges in our efforts for peace. We may draw some insight from these quotes, that they inspire us, give us ideas, and help us overcome challenges on our peacebuilding journeys.
Key messages in the quotes
While all the quotes here are unique, there are some patterns that are found in them. Many discuss how peacebuilding is a process that takes time. Some discuss challenges in the journey of peacebuilding or share tips in overcoming challenges. Some provide different ways of thinking about peacebuilding or share insight and approaches we can apply in our peace efforts.
Quotes on peacebuilding and building peace
Below you will find 21 quotes organized into three groups:
- Quotes on peacebuilding as a process
- Quotes on peacebuilding approaches and strategy
- Quotes on relationship building and working for peace with others
Quotes on peacebuilding as a process
Quotes below discuss peacebuilding as a longterm process. Some discuss the process or try to make us think differently about how we view peacebuilding. Others talk about making progress on the journey of peacebuilding.
“Peace is not the product of a victory or a command. It has no finishing line, no final deadline, no fixed definition of achievement. Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions.” – Oscar Arias (Former President of Costa Rica, 1940 – present, Costa Rica)
“There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” – A.J. Muste
“The road to peace is paved with dignity.” – Donna Hicks
“In settings of deep conflict, words and promises do not constitute an adequate measure that genuine change has taken place. People’s actions, attitudes, and behavior do.” – John Paul Lederach
“Peacebuilding is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, patience, and dedication.” – Leymah Gbowee
“Peacebuilding is a long-term process that addresses the underlying causes of conflict, such as inequality, injustice, and exclusion.” – Kofi Annan
Quotes on peacebuilding approaches and strategy
There are many approaches to build peace. There are many quotes outlining specific approaches to build peace, but doing so indirectly without making an explicit link to peacebuilding. These ones are more directly about some approaches to building peace or ending war. Other blog posts in the future will cover specific peacebuilding approaches and themes.
“To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
“I’m not disturbing the peace. I’m disturbing the war.” – Ammon Ashford Hennacy
“Peace cannot be bullied into existence.” – Ali Jarbawi
“Without deep listening and gentle loving speech it is very difficult to move towards peace. Peace will only become a reality, when world leaders come to negotiations with the ability to hear the suffering at the root of all conflicts.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
“Education is, quite simply, peacebuilding by another name. It is the most effective form of defense spending there is.” – Kofi Annan
“Peacebuilding is about shifting from the logic of war to the logic of peace.” – Jean-Marie Guéhenno
“Peacebuilding requires many levels of intervention, from the grassroots to the international.” – John Paul Lederach
“Peacebuilding is not merely a cessation of violence but a creative process aimed at transforming societies into more just and peaceful ones.” – Michelle Bachelet
Quotes on relationship building and working for peace with others
Quotes here outline the challenges in building peace. Some focus on the need for collaboration, relationship building and working with your perceived enemy.
“Building peace is more often about creating space, developing relationships, persevering in spite of overwhelming pessimism, and being flexible enough to respond to emerging opportunities, meager as they may be.” – John Paul Lederach
“The beauty of peace is in trying to find solutions together.” – Dekha Ibrahim Abdi
“Peace is something you make with your adversaries, not with your friends.” – Johan Galtung
“I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” – Abraham Lincoln
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” – Nelson Mandela
“Sustainable peace is built not on political agreements alone, but on the healing of broken relationships.” – Mohammed Abu-Nimer
“Peacebuilding begins with a recognition of our shared humanity and the acknowledgment of the past.” – Desmond Tutu
Inspiration and action for peace
I hope these quotes are useful for you, that they help you have a deeper understanding about peace processes and building peace. If you are an experienced peacebuilder may they give you inspiration and ideas you can use in your peace efforts. If you are new to the concept of building peace, may they give you inspiration to explore and learn more about building peace.
If you like this article, check out my other one that included many more peace quotes: 114 Quotes on Peace and Peacebuilding
Also, if you have a quote that you think I should add to this list, please CLICK HERE to share it with me.
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