Connecting in Community Step 7: CONNECT WITH THE 'OTHER'

We want to engage our whole community in peacebuilding, so we’re giving you 10 small, easy things you can do to start connecting in your community by understanding yourself, your context, the people in your community, and the conflicts in your setting. Check out Step 1 , Step 2, Step 3, Step 4 , Step 5, and Step 6.

Step 7 to connecting in your community is to CONNECT WITH ‘THE OTHER.’

Communities will always have in-groups and out-groups, those with more influence and those with less. The question is, how will these groups relate? Will the out-groups - the “other” - be welcomed into relationship and decision-making, or will they be kept on the outskirts of the community? 


To start practicing this 7th peacebuilding step, think about who some examples are of the “other” in your community. Who are groups of people who hold less power, are at greater risk, or and are frequently judged or scapegoated?

Then take some time to learn about the history of one of these groups in your specific community, and seek out the stories and perspectives of someone from a marginalized group through books, articles, music, videos, and more.