This email series highlights voices of peace from around the world, to help you find yours.
This month’s Voice of Peace is Will Fuller, who leads Common Ground USA’s Resilient States Project in Pennsylvania. Common Ground USA conducts all of Search’s US-based programming.
Two veterans sit across from one another in south central, PA. One is lauding a documentary about how the 2020 election was fraudulent. The other has enormous concerns about disinformation efforts. Divided by politics and perspective, they share a common identity through their experiences in the military. Drawing on this bond, they begin to discuss what it means to be trusted messengers in their community as they slowly develop trust with one another. When the round table event hosted by Common Ground USA concludes, the two men exchange phone numbers to continue their dialogue.
The real power of these kinds of interactions is not simply what happens in the moment but what happens afterward. These two men are part of various networks, formal and informal. They’re rooted in communities and families. And they can now set a tone for their interactions, making understanding and caring for your neighbor the norm. 79% of Americans say they want to be part of addressing polarization. Our work is about creating opportunities for them to do that.
In Pennsylvania and elsewhere, our team has been working to identify, engage, and activate key leaders—educators, faith leaders, business owners, folks who hold different perspectives but want to create a place of belonging, a place where they can rise above the divisions that tear us apart. They recognize that agreement on every issue isn’t necessary to make progress together, and they share a vision for communities where everyone thrives.
Immediately after the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in which one attendee was killed, this diverse network went into action. Supported by our team with resources, they used their platforms—however big, in whatever context—to build peace. They called out inappropriate jokes in text threads with colleagues. They encouraged friends to refrain from sharing unverified information about the incident. They infused their sermons with messages of peace and care for all of humanity. In Butler County where the shooting occurred, community leaders shared messages that reinforced resilience and lifted their community up in the face of violence.
As our teams continue to help mobilize these networks of peacebuilders across the US, two things feel especially true:
- You can build peace right where you are. Start small. Consider the skills you already possess, the influence you wield, and use them well. It doesn’t have to be profound, it just has to be genuine. Use this muscle, and if the time comes, build it up to a larger scale. Just get started. And when you do, know this: you’re not alone. Every day in Pennsylvania where I live and work, I see people who—in obvious and subtle ways—are seeking to build peace. Grandmas in Harrisburg, election officials in York, faith leaders in Pittsburgh, retirees in Philadelphia—these people are actively choosing to move towards instead of away from others. You’re part of this network.
- The outcome of our work is not a given. The direction we go together tomorrow is built on thousands of small choices we make today—choices to either sew division or empathy and belonging. The kind of peaceable and productive interaction the two veterans shared can remain a rare experience. Our team will press on until it’s not.
P.S. One powerful way you can take action is by hosting a Love Anyway feast. This fall, thousands will gather across the country, sharing meals and conversations across lines of difference. We’d love for you to join us at the table.
