Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage is a global network of 40 + autonomous Christian groups (including Peace Catalyst) who are engaging in a peaceful and prayerful show of solidarity with the people of Gaza by walking the length of the Gaza strip in cities around the world during Lent. As peace catalysts, we’re helping to organize a few walks around the United States. So far, we have one scheduled in the Twin Cities on March 23rd and one in San Diego on March 30th.

“Making peace,” “resolving conflict,” “building bridges” – whatever you want to call it – is by definition hard. It’s challenging and uncomfortable. There is no way around this. because if it wasn’t, then the conflict wouldn’t exist and the work wouldn’t need to be done. But evidence from psychologists, neuroscientists, professors, and religious leaders point to the fact that doing hard things is good.

In order to engage in authentic and meaningful multi-faith peacebuilding and spiritual conversations, we have to build and maintain trust, and that means living with integrity. What does that mean, and how do we practically do that? Here are some practical suggestions.

Our brains are wired to categorize people into groups based on the beliefs and values that make up our identity. Our ability to respond with empathy when someone experiences pain is based on our brain’s categorization of “us” and “them.” However, there are ways to get around this.

A few questions that we keep getting have to do with the relationship between peacebuilding and Christian witness. Is peacebuilding supposed to lead to witness? Does Christian witness simply not matter in light of so much division and conflict? What is Christian witness? Is it mainly about expressing religious convictions through our words? Or is it about serving as a living example of one’s faith? Read on to see our answers.

We’re happy to announce the appointment of Peter Digitale Anderson as Executive Director of Peace Catalyst International! Peter will be replacing Martin Brooks, who served as President since January 2020.

Global challenges like toxic polarization, ongoing violence and war, and climate change are dramatically straining our collective capacity to work together to meet everyone’s needs. Peacebuilding is not just for a few of us; peacebuilding insights and skills are needed to address the everyday challenges we face in our homes and communities, and we need them to work together to address wider societal challenges. Each gift to Peace Catalyst as an organization and to a specific peacebuilder or project is an investment to help shift the culture of the Church to prioritize God’s vision of holistic, just peace. 

Peace Catalyst International unreservedly calls for a ceasefire in Palestine and Israel, the return of all hostages, secure humanitarian corridors, and an end to the widespread killing and destruction in Gaza.

I am guessing there is a person in your surroundings with whom you do not agree and share the same values. If you are unable to speak to that person, I invite you to imagine walking in their shoes. Imagine spending one day as that person. Think about their life, their struggle, their way of seeing the world. What makes that person unavailable to you? And what makes them relatable?