Kaushayla’s husband disappeared during the 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka. To this day he has not returned. But through a network of women all similarly affected by the war, Kaushayla has found a network of people she can connect with. Now she helps run local projects supporting women to run their own small businesses.
When violence broke out in the city of Marawi, Philippines, summer 2017, our local partner did what no other organisation could do: they mobilised immediately to support those who had fled. Megan Renoir reports from a recent trip to the region where she saw their work in action.
After attending a skills training workshop run by our local partner in Syria learning how to repair small electrical items, Mahmoud has become a source of inspiration for his friends, family and local community.
Sahra dreamed of an education and a peaceful life from a very young age. But when her father wanted her to marry a militant fighter her dreams were shattered. Faced with no other option, she ran away to a new city. But there her life changed. Now Sahra runs her a small tailoring business with three girls she met on a skills training course. And she is free to plan her own future, away from violence and fighting.
“Despite all the news, all the headlines about the crisis and violence in Nigeria, we will build peace. Peace is possible if all hands are on deck.”
With your support, we are working with ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances to stop war destroying lives. Julienne is one of these people. This is her story.
To commemorate World Radio Day, we offer a glimpse into a thriving network of community radio clubs in eastern DR Congo. Scroll through the photo series from photographer Greg Funnell to see how the local radio is saving lives and building livelihoods in the region.
Askiro fled conflict and violence in her home village, just to tragically lose her youngest son to poverty and malnutrition in another. With the help of a local organisation offering skills training and business management support, Askiro has turned the life of her family around.
For many living in war-torn DR Congo, access to fast and effective justice is rare. Local disputes over land, farming or marriage can quickly escalate to wider violence that feeds into complex local conflicts. This leaves people without ways of resolving their conflicts peacefully and can entrench dangerous cycles of violence. Here, FOCHI’s Peace Courts are having a big impact for people on the ground.
Global poverty and violent conflict are two of the most serious problems that we face in the world today, and they are often linked. Peace Direct fund local peacebuilders around the world, helping them to implement real change – and bring an end to poverty and violent conflict.