Peacebuilding requires more than ceasefires and formal agreements; it demands healing human relationships and bridging divisions. Gail Hambleton, Senior Program Specialist for Values-Based Peacebuilding at the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), understands this intimately. Her work centers around helping communities overcome historical grievances and deeply rooted conflicts by fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and mutual understanding.

“Peacebuilding is fundamentally about relationships,” says Hambleton. “It’s about how we remove the resentment from human hearts, reconcile historical wounds, and forge pathways toward shared futures.”

Understanding Community-Driven Peacebuilding

Traditional approaches to peace have often focused on diplomacy and top-down agreements between political leaders and governments. While necessary, such approaches frequently overlook the underlying community-level tensions that sustain conflicts. Hamilton emphasizes that lasting peace depends on engaging communities directly, empowering them to create their own solutions.

“We truly believe solutions come from within the communities,” Hambleton explains. “We don’t fly in and prescribe what should be done. Instead, we facilitate communities to build peace on their terms, based on shared principles like dignity, respect, and common humanity.”

This approach, called community-driven peacebuilding, fosters genuine reconciliation by addressing the root causes of conflict.

GPF’s Unique Peacebuilding Approach

GPF distinguishes itself by combining managed contact theory with core values like respect, dignity, and the acknowledgment of a shared human identity. Managed contact theory initially separates conflicting groups, working with each individually to break down stereotypes and clarify misunderstandings. Only after adequate preparation are the groups brought together to engage directly.

Hambleton describes the careful process:

“First, we work within each group separately, preparing them for dialogue, removing myths, and helping them understand their shared human identity. After trust is established, they come together to discuss, reconcile, and move forward as one community.”

Successful Examples of GPF’s Peacebuilding

GPF has successfully applied this model in various locations, including the United States and Nigeria.

Nigeria’s One Family Under God Campaign

In Nigeria, GPF’s One Family Under God Campaign directly addresses inter-religious tensions by building solidarity around the shared principles of human dignity and respect.

“In Nigeria, identity-based conflict has deep historical roots,” says Hambleton. “We’ve seen profound healing when religious communities come together under a shared vision—recognizing their common humanity beyond religious or ethnic differences.”

Cross-Community Reconciliation in Montana and Baltimore

In the United States, GPF pioneered the Cross-Community Reconciliation Project, addressing historical injustices between Native Americans and non-Native communities in Montana, and between African American and white communities in Baltimore.

These projects carefully guide participants through dialogue, education, and joint community service:

“We facilitated difficult conversations about historical traumas, enabling communities to confront painful truths together,” Hambleton shares. “The outcome has been genuine reconciliation—lifelong relationships built on trust and mutual respect.”

Notably, the Montana project is now entering its third cycle, demonstrating sustained commitment and significant community impact.

The Peace Hub Campaign: Empowering Local Peacebuilders

Complementing these intensive projects, GPF also developed the Peace Hub Campaign, an educational initiative empowering local communities with foundational peacebuilding skills. Groups meet regularly to study peacebuilding tools, such as:

• Understanding dialogue and communication strategies.
• Recognizing and addressing identity-based conflicts.
• Developing strategies for conflict resolution and reconciliation.

Hambleton sees the Peace Hub Campaign as a crucial empowerment tool:

“These sessions provide communities with practical knowledge and confidence. Participants leave feeling, ‘I can be a peacebuilder; I can facilitate change in my community.’ That sense of empowerment is vital.”

The Foundation of Peace: One Family Under God

At the core of all GPF peacebuilding efforts lies the vision of One Family Under God, an ethos emphasizing the intrinsic dignity and interconnectedness of all people. Hambleton highlights how this universal vision shapes their programs:

“Our vision statement isn’t just a slogan—it’s the DNA of our peacebuilding. When people recognize the universal values we share, they see past superficial differences and embrace their common humanity.”

This philosophy acts as the ethical framework for dialogues, ensuring participants engage respectfully, even through challenging conversations.

Sustainability and Long-Term Impact

Sustainability is central to GPF’s peacebuilding work. By establishing Community Peacebuilding Committees in each project area, GPF ensures lasting community ownership. These committees provide ongoing support, mediate future conflicts, and spread peacebuilding practices throughout their communities.

Hambleton envisions a broader impact:

“These committees become permanent resources, spreading peacebuilding skills and knowledge beyond the initial participants. We envision this model spreading to cities and communities around the world.”

Bottom-Up Peacebuilding: Empowering Individuals

The shift from top-down diplomacy to grassroots peacebuilding has been significant. Hambleton argues that meaningful peace begins at the community and family level—not just in government offices and diplomatic negotiations.

“Peace is no longer just the domain of diplomats. It’s something every person can and should be involved in,” Hambleton states. “This bottom-up approach is not just powerful—it’s necessary.”

A Shared Vision for Peace

The Global Peace Foundation’s approach to community-driven peacebuilding highlights a critical truth: real peace is built through authentic human relationships, mutual understanding, and a commitment to shared ethical values. With every dialogue, reconciliation session, and community project, GPF empowers individuals and communities to realize their roles as active peacebuilders.

Hambleton reflects:

“Ultimately, peacebuilding is relational. It is about seeing each other clearly—acknowledging historical pain and choosing reconciliation. When we commit to building these genuine relationships, we build peace.”

To learn more about community-driven peacebuilding initiatives and how you can become involved, visit: Global Peace Foundation – Peacebuilding

Together, we can foster communities defined by reconciliation, mutual respect, and lasting peace.