I learned a concept from a fellow Rotarian during our August 2024 Positive Peace Activator training that I had never considered before: “Every Act of Service is an Act of Peace”. So, let’s start there. We all know how important it is to have our basic needs met. Physical needs include clean water and sanitation, nutritious food, shelter and safe housing, basic health care, and physical safety - meaning freedom from violence, war and abuse.

Then there are our social and developmental needs: education, livelihood (a dignified way to support yourself and your family), and belonging. Scholars like John Burton and Johan Galtung believe that conflict often comes when these needs are unmet. Unlike resources, they can’t be bargained away. Let’s take it a little deeper. Needs that matter most for peace are:

• Identity. Having who you are, including your culture, faith and history, recognized and respected.
• Dignity and recognition. Being treated as someone who matters.
• Security. Not just being physically safe now, but trusting that you will stay safe.
• Participation and voice. Having a say in decisions that affect your life.
• Freedom. Being able to make meaningful choices.
• Fairness and justice. Believing the system treats people equally.

We can see that in many countries around the globe, the most basic physical needs of people are not met. It is no coincidence that these countries have extremely high rates of violence. But we must face the hard truth that in our own local communities here in Georgia, violence has steadily climbed as well. Rotarians, we can make a difference. It’s not easy work, but the benefits are immense.

An understanding of Dr. Galtung’s Triangle of Violence is helpful as we work to meet the needs of others. When most people think of violence, they are usually thinking of direct violence, which is visible - hitting, bullying, war, hate crimes. But this is only the top of the triangle. Invisible violence is much more prevalent than direct violence. It includes structural violence, which is built into systems: unequal access to schools, health care, jobs or justice. It harms people even when no individual means to. There is also cultural violence - the set of beliefs, stories and symbols that justify the other two. It makes direct violence feel deserved and structural violence feel natural or inevitable.

Last month, DG Cynthia Edwards gave a great overview of the Eight Pillars of Peace Framework, developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace, and adopted by Rotary International. Looking closely at these pillars, you see that they line up closely with Rotary’s areas of focus - nearly all Rotary service is peace work. One benefit to utilizing the pillars in our work is that it encourages system thinking. The pillars are interdependent: improving one tends to strengthen others, and a weak one can pull the rest down. That leads clubs to ask better questions, such as:

• Which pillar is weakest in our community? Start with the need, not just a familiar project.
• What else does this project touch? A tutoring program builds human capital, but it can also build relationships across neighborhoods and trust in institutions.
• Are we treating a symptom or a cause? A food drive meets an immediate need, and this is important work to do. Also working on jobs and transportation needs can help address the underlying issue contributing to food insecurity.

Another benefit to incorporating the pillars into our work is that it makes projects more sustainable. Positive Peace thinking favors building local capacity over short-term relief. Projects designed around the pillars involve community partners, strengthen existing institutions and last after the club's involvement ends. The Rotary Foundation looks for those same qualities in global grants.

So how do we get there from here? I plan to concentrate on one of the eight pillars each month, walking you through real-world examples you can implement in your own clubs. Every well we dig, every child we tutor and every neighbor we welcome is already an act of peace; together, let’s build it on purpose, one pillar at a time.