The more we know and understand with our minds about peace in all its myriad aspects, the more we can connect via our hearts in positive, peaceful ways with others.
* Peace Leaders
* Science of Peace
* Free Courses
LEARN ABOUT....
* Peace Leaders We Can Emulate
(this month's focus)
Leymah Gbowee (Liberia)
Social activist responsible for co-organizing and leading the Liberian Mass Action for Peace, which brought together Christian and Muslim women in a nonviolent movement that ended the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. Her efforts, along with those of her collaborator, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, helped usher in a period of peace and enabled a free election in 2005 that Sirleaf won. Co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, Gbowee continues to write and speak internationally for the advancement of women's rights and peace.
Nobel Women’s Initiative bio: https://www.nobelwomensinitiative.org/leymahgbowee
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leymah_Gbowee
John Lewis (USA)
One of the "Big Six" leaders of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. In 1965, when he was only 25, he led the first of three “Selma to Montgomery” marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama, where he suffered a badly fractured skull when the group was attacked by police. Elected in 1986 to the U. S. Congress, he served as the Representative of Georgia’s 5th District until his death in 2020. He received numerous awards for his nonviolent advocacy and actions, including the first-ever “Profile in Courage Lifetime Award” from the JFK Library Foundation in 2001, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barach Obama in 2011, and the Peacemaker Award from the National Conflict Resolution Center in 2014.
Yoko Ono (Japan)
Multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist, known along with her husband John Lennon for their music and their organization of Viet Nam War protests called “Bed-Ins for Peace.” As a tribute to her late husband and a symbol of their desire for world peace, she created the “Imagine Peace Tower” in Reykjavík Iceland, which has shined a beam of light skyward from October 9 to December 8 every year since 2007. Ono turns 93 in 2026.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Ono
ImaginePeace bio: https://www.imaginepeace.com/about
* The Science and Benefits of Peace
Research by HeartMath Institute
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HeartMath Institute does extensive research on peaceful heart coherence and the energetic connection of all things. (https://www.heartmath.org/research/research-library/) and (https://www.heartmath.org/research/featured-research/)
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HeartMath also presents findings on the science of heart-brain communication, intuitive intelligence, and peaceful personal functioning. (https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/)
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HeartMath’s Global Coherence Monitoring System monitors geomagnetic fields and how solar and cosmic influences affect the earth’s fields and human behavior. (https://www.heartmath.org/gci/research/global-coherence/)
Blog: The Science of Inner Peace - How Your Brain Processes Calm
Discussion of brain hormones, their functions, and how they respond to - and help create - inner peace.
Physical & Mental Health Benefits of Peace
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Reduced stress: Living in a peaceful environment lowers chronic stress. Chronic stress is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and weakened immune function (McEwen, 2007).
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Better sleep: Feeling safe and secure improves sleep quality, which is critical for memory, metabolism, and immune function (Walker, 2017).
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Lower injury rates: In societies or communities with less violence, accidental and intentional injuries are far lower. This directly reduces mortality (WHO, 2023).
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Longer life expectancy: Peaceful countries or regions often show longer life spans due to reduced conflict-related deaths and stress (Human Security Report, 2013).
Social, Societal, and Global Benefits of Peace
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Trust and cooperation: Peace fosters trust in neighbors, authorities, and institutions. Trust correlates with greater community engagement and social cohesion (Putnam, 2000).
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Economic growth: Stability attracts investment, education, and entrepreneurship. Economically healthy communities can invest in health, education, and infrastructure.
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Cultural development: Arts, literature, science, and culture flourish in societies with less conflict because resources and energy aren’t consumed by violence.
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Conflict prevention: Peaceful societies avoid cycles of retaliation, reducing the likelihood of wars or internal strife.
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Public health improvement: Health campaigns and emergency responses function better without conflict.
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Education access: Children are far more likely to attend school and thrive academically in safe, peaceful settings.
* Courses/Workshops/Webinars
United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR)
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Courses Offered: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on peace, conflict resolution, and security.
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Target Audience: Global learners interested in peace and security topics.
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Format: Free online courses available in multiple languages.
United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
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Courses Offered: A variety of self-paced video courses on a diversity of topics in conflict management and peacebuilding.
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Target Audience: Geared toward practitioners working to resolve conflict in their countries.
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Format: Free online courses available in multiple languages.
Peace Operation Training Institute (POTI)
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Courses/Webinars/Videos Offered: A variety of self-paced video courses, webinars, and individual videos on a diversity of topics in peacebuilding.
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Target Audience: Geared toward practitioners working to resolve conflict in their countries but available for everyone.
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Format: Free online offerings available in multiple languages. Scroll through courses to find free ones.
For Courses: Peace-Training Courses
For Webinars & Videos: https://www.peaceopstraining.org/videos/
Class Central - Peacebuilding Courses
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Courses/Webinars/Videos Offered: A variety of courses, webinars, and individual videos on a diversity of topics such as conflict management, global issues, peace education, and peacebuilding.
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Target Audience: Anyone who is interested in peacebuilding.
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Format: Free online offerings available in multiple languages.
Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
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Course Offered: 2-hour online course with 5 modules that include videos, text reading, quizzes, a Facebook group, and post-completion opportunities.
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Target Audience: Anyone who wants to learn about peace and its implications for humanity.
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Format: Free online course available in multiple languages.