LATEST POSTS

Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

Healing Wounds, Building Peace: Principles for Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding from Bosnia to Your Community

At the root of any violent conflict, we can find painful wounds turning us against each other. Whether civil war, racism, toxic polarization, or bullying - unhealed trauma of all types drive us apart. But our pain doesn’t condemn us to more violence. Peace Catalyst’s Mirela Popaja-Hadžić, therapist and trauma awareness trainer, hosted this workshop on principles for healing and transforming trauma as part of transforming our communities.

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

Crisis in South Korea: Understanding the Turmoil Rocking South Korea's Democracy

The South Korean President declared martial law on December 4th, 2024. The world watched with amazement as the Korean people rallied to their National Assembly in the middle of the night. Lawmakers pushed through police and soldiers to gain access to their parliament and voted to overturn martial law within six hours. What lies underneath this strong reaction? What's happening in the aftermath? And what can we learn from it?

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

WATCH: Where Do We Go From Here? Following Jesus as Peacemakers After the Election

In the run-up to the 2024 U.S. election, both parties described the other as a threat to democracy and the potential end of America, and the whole election was fueled by “othering.” So, after this ultra-polarizing event, where do we go from here? In this conversation, author and peacemaker Andrew DeCort and Peace Catalyst’s Peter Digitale Anderson discuss Andrew’s new book, Blessed Are the Others: Jesus’ Way in a Violent World. We explore what the Beatitudes have to say to our contemporary moment and how the path of peacemaking can lead us into a new future.

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

Join Us This Advent to Practice Hope and Build Peace!

When it feels like the world is falling to pieces, what do we do? When our families and communities seem impossibly divided, when our most vulnerable neighbors face even greater threats and injustice, how do we respond? We can be tempted to just accept the status quo, but the truth is that love casts out fear. We can move mountains with faith as small as a mustard seed, and we have the very Spirit of the living God within us.

December 1-14, we invite you to try out some peace-building, hope-practicing experiments with us during our Advent Peacebuilding Experience.

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

After the Election: A Rare Moment for Change in America

Right now, we find ourselves in a unique moment in our political cycle, one that will not last for long. The campaigns have ended; the votes are cast; the races have been decided. In this brief period in which Americans are catching their breath, celebrating or mourning, and coming to terms with our next four years and beyond, we have a decision to make. How do we use this pause, this break, this “reset,” to spark new possibilities? What do we do now? What will we do differently?

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

A Lament for Israel and Palestine, A Year In

It has been one year since fighters from Hamas and other militant groups fired rockets and crossed the border from Gaza into Israel, brutally killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more, ripping apart families and traumatizing the country. It has been one year since Israel retaliated with airstrikes against the crowded cities of Gaza, soon to be followed by a ground invasion and blockade that cut Gaza’s access to food and fuel. Why do we care? Why don’t we just look away and trust these far-off countries to sort it out themselves? 

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

WATCH: Practicing Hope in Times of War: How PCI Peacebuilders Are Working for Peace in Israel and Palestine

The war in Gaza has been going on for almost a full year. At Peace Catalyst, we believe that God’s mission is to build a holistic and just peace and that our calling as Christians is to follow Jesus in the work of peacebuilding. Watch this video to hear our peacebuilders talk about what the Church should be learning and doing, and how everyday people can be engaged.

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

WATCH: Six Steps for Challenging Christian Nationalism: Building Peace Amid Polarization & Violent Extremism

In this talk, Professor Drew J. Strait unpacks key concepts and insights from his new book, Strange Worship: Six Steps for Challenging Christian Nationalism. In addition to defining Christian nationalism, Strait discusses how it is impacting global faith communities and how faith leaders can challenge its threats to democracies and human flourishing with strategic nonviolence.

Read More
Nicole Gibson Nicole Gibson

Meet 2024 Rick Love Young Innovator Award Recipient Moses Abolade

The Rick Love Young Innovator Awards are for peacebuilders under the age of 30 who are up-and-coming leaders and who have recently started or will soon be starting innovative peacebuilding efforts that promise to be transformative in their context. Meet one of this year’s Rick Love Young Innovator Award recipients, Moses Abolade…

Read More