Dylan Mathews"> Dylan Mathews"/> Dylan Mathews, Author at Peace Direct

Author: Dylan Mathews

The tragedy of Ukraine and the urgency of peacebuilding

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The full-scale invasion of Ukraine is less than a week old and most of us have watched in horror as Russian tanks rolled into a sovereign country only to face the resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people determined to defy the odds and push back the invading army. Many of us will be feeling a sense of dread that things will get worse before they get better, and that we are witnessing the most dramatic geopolitical tectonic shift in a generation. Almost all of us are feeling completely powerless.

Hope in the darkness: Looking back at 2021

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We have learned to be more adaptable and understanding than ever before. While we may feel less in control of our futures than at any other time in our lives, most of us have met this extraordinary challenge with grace and patience.  In thinking about those qualities – grace, resilience and patience – I am … Continued

Dear USAID; let’s make sure that “local” really means “local”

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This blog was originally posted by Bond. . The international humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors are brimming with initiatives that promise to shift power and resources to local actors in the Global South.    Take #ShiftThePower, for example, which is evolving into a genuine movement or, closer to home, Bond’s own sector catalyst initiative and … Continued

Dylan Mathews: My hopes for 2021

The opening line from Amanda Gorman’s transcendent poem, is no doubt how many of us felt at the start of the year. But like so much of her poem, I find many reasons to be hopeful as we look at the year ahead.   Here are my top three hopes for 2021: My first hope is that despite the devastation caused by COVID–19, we don’t forget that local … Continued

A just peace is possible

The murder of George Floyd has rightly prompted outrage across the U.S. and in cities around the world. As protestors took to the streets last weekend, our CEO, Dylan Mathews, shared this reflection.

2019: A year in peacebuilding

Looking back at 2019, I am continually impressed by the courage, commitment, and resilience of our partners and thousands of local peacebuilders around the world. As war and violence raged in many places, local people on the frontlines of conflict have saved lives, interrupted cycles of violence, and strengthened the foundations for lasting peace in their societies.

Overall in 2019, Peace Direct supported local peacebuilders in 12 countries to stop violent conflict. Our partners set up local Peace Courts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, helped children traumatized by Syria’s war and trained Filipino women in conflict resolution, among many other projects.

As the end of the year approaches, we take a moment to look back at some of the key moments in our work and the lives of our partners.

Sri Lanka: a month on

The horrific bombings that shook Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday are no longer newsworthy. The world’s attention has shifted elsewhere, and yet people across the country are still seeking answers to the events that took place a month ago.

Supporting Sri Lanka

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On Easter Sunday, Sri Lanka was rocked by a series of bombings that killed more than 250 people at churches and hotels, the worst violence the country has seen in a decade. Our CEO Dylan Mathews shares his own reactions to the attacks and what this means for peacebuilders in the country.

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