Peacework started in 1989 with a belief in the power of collaboration to build a better world. We started small, bringing together volunteer engineers from the U.S. and the Soviet Union to Esteli, Nicaragua in the wake of the Cold War to rebuild communities alongside displaced families. In that first project, we learned that the best way to make positive social change is through diversity of sectors, cultures, and ideas and we have been doing it ever since.
Now more than ever, our shared global challenges require the innovation of diverse voices. For over 25 years, Peacework has expanded the impact of creative collaboration in 25+ countries alongside academic institutions, corporations, government agencies, civil society organizations, and community leaders to accelerate positive social change. Actualizing the capacity for this kind of change and scale means bringing together the right people and the right resources, at the right time:
Peacework is that convener.
Commitment
Our Approach
Our success is rooted in cross-sector collaboration that not only inspires innovative solutions, but also provides transformative cross-cultural opportunities to inspire the change agent in everyone. We call this Engagement That Empowers, and our work is always:
Community-Led
We believe that local leadership is essential for sustainable social change. That’s why we work to support and amplify the voice, vision, and insights of local leaders, stakeholders, and institutions. The core of what we believe and do has many names’ grassroots, bottom-up, participatory development. This foundational principle enables us to work alongside communities for holistic and culturally appropriate solutions that last.
Innovation-Powered
We believe that innovation is driven by genuine collaboration. That’s why we’re committed to connecting talented leaders of communities, academic institutions, and corporations across sectors and from all corners of the globe to collaborate on our shared global challenges. We’re changing the way people understand their role in social change by actively engaging them in the solution.
Peacework-Driven
We believe that everyone can be an agent of change. For us, social change is not just an end in itself, but a deeply personal process that activates the potential in all of us to make an impact. This is what we call the Peacework ‘aha’ moment, the moment you realize the power of your inherent genius, the potency of collaboration, and that lasting change only happens if we’re all engaged.