16. Peace Families

"The greatest gift we can give to our children is to raise them in a culture of peace." -- Louise Diamond

We can dream about a time when the human family will strive to get along together. But most of us have our own families where our peacebuilding skills will be constantly tested. Creating more peaceful families can be one of the most rewarding and difficult tasks for a peacebuilder.

A family is one of the most basic models of what a peaceful world can be like. The members of a family are joined by bonds of love; they help each other meet all of their physical and emotional needs. A family that strives to become a peace family can help each member to feel more fulfilled and better about themselves and the world.

The first step to becoming a peace family is to decide to become one. It will be an ongoing learning experience with lots of mistakes. You'll need all of the tools you've learned as peacemakers. You might decide to set a regular time to discuss and work out family problems and issues. You'll want to make sure that you show your concern and encouragement for each other, regularly. You'll need to let things go and apologize and accept apologies and make amends when apologies aren't enough. You're a team and you want to work it out. You may decide to work together on peace projects as a way to strengthen your dedication.