Become a peacebuilder and impact leader

There are more conflicts than ever in the world, more than 75 years after World War II. Question is: Have we really made a big effort to ban war?

War has become an industry. Trillions of dollars are spent yearly on this machinery of mass destruction. The cost of destruction is massive. Whole countries are bombed to pieces in endless wars and millions of people lose their lives. We have come to justify violence as a legitimate way to intervene in conflicts. It is time to disrupt this way of thinking.

We can prevent war, build peace and make an impact. That is the point of entry of this practical guide which has an ambitious goal: let us all become peacebuilders and impact leaders and create an Economy of Peace.

The guide describes a methodology and approach to peacebuilding which starts with an inner journey of self-discovery and self-awareness. The peacebuilding model that has been developed revolves around four important values: trust, empathy, respect and integrity.

The idea is to make business of peace and to think about peace in terms of value and social impact. With concepts borrowed from business management, an innovative perspective to peace is presented which challenges us to think about peace as the best value proposition for a better world after COVID-19.

The guide is written in a comprehensive style and consists of a train the trainer program, a theoretical framework underpinning the models that are used and a toolkit with exercises.

The author and her colleagues whom she collaborated with, offer a practical, easy-to-use and innovative approach built on extensive experience and having worked with hundreds of people from war-torn countries, having visited many conflict zones and lived under junta's and repressive regimes herself. A peaceful world is possible. This guide is a starting point to make it happen.

About the author

Saskia Harkema is a Dutch trainer, advisor and coach, CEO of Faces of Change, Global Leader ImpactLeaders international, Global Ambassador Female Wave of Change and World Ambassador Netherlands for World Peace Tracts. She grew up in South America and wrote several books.