News from Peace Begins With Me

What keeps people safe? Conventional wisdom says that our safety is dependent upon the number of Police Officers in a community, the size of a nation's military, or more recently, the use of technology. Thus, whenever the issue of increasing safety is debated the solutions put forward are usually the same - increase policing and military budgets and install video cameras and other sophisticated technology to monitor communication and behaviour. But do these methods work? Do these strategies actually increase our safety and security?

A few years ago research was conducted by the disability community to determine what keeps individuals with a disability safe. The research revealed an interesting phenomenon. Safety was dependent upon the number of relationships a person had. The more relationships, the greater an individual's safety. The fewer relationships, the more vulnerable they were.

If this principle applies to large groups just as it does to individuals, then communities and nations that want to increase the safety of their citizens will not accomplish this by increasing the size of their police or military, or by developing sophisticated technology. The method for creating safer communities is to build connections between people. Safety comes from building relationships with those who are different, marginalized, or excluded.

This is the strategy utilized by a local organization - PoCoMo Youth Services Society. PoCoMo has a mandate to increase the safety and well being of the youth in their community. With the aid of a modified shuttle bus PoCoMo staff travel to areas of the community where youth naturally congregate - convenience stores, parks, recreation centers, and other local hang outs. The goal of "Project REACH OUT' is to 'reach out' to youth - to build connections between the youth and the community, and through these connections increase the safety and security of youth.

Project Reach Out has operated for about 2 years. During this time PoCoMo has witnessed a significant shift in the perceptions and attitudes of the youth with whom they have established a first name relationship. By reaching out to the youth, the youth acquire the perception that they are valued, that adults in the community care about their well-being, and that they are welcome and included regardless of the colour of their hair, the kind of clothes they wear, their nationality, sexual orientation, religion, or intelligence. The result is youth take better care of themselves, feel safer and more secure, and have a greater sense of belonging.

One of the additional benefits of this strategy is that it doesn't require significant financial resources. Instead, what is required are human resources. Resources as - caring and compassion, a willingness to extend ourselves to others, a desire to understand those who are different, and a commitment to honour the rights, gifts, and contributions of all individuals.

I wonder what kind of world we might have if more communities had 'reach out projects'; if more people talked to strangers; if more governments invested resources in building connections with their 'enemies'; if we build bridges rather than walls between cultures, races, religions, and nations.

The path to peace, safety, and security is simple. Build relationships. We all have the ability to build relationships. Let's do it now. Let's do it with everyone. Let's make this world a better place. We have the resources - it is within each of us.

You're the one you've been waiting for.
Byron Katie