Developed by Re-Imagining New Communities. Inspired by children
participating in Children-Led Community Peace Labs ( CLCP-Labs) by
Sahlim Charles
Think about it. Whenever you type the term “Peace Processes” into a
search engine, what appears are images of high-level negotiations in
conference halls, policy forums, diplomatic roundtables and often
military presence in fragile contexts. This is not accidental; these
images reflect how peace is commonly framed and understood in
global discourse. Peace is often portrayed as elite, institutional and
distant from everyday life.
Yet in the everyday life of a schoolyard, a church/ temple/ shrine/
mosque, or a neighborhood, children are already practicing peace in
ways that are immediate, relational and deeply transformative. When a
child says “I will help you,” “I am sorry,” or “Come, let’s do this together,”
they are not merely behaving well, they are exercising leadership. Theseacts by children remind the global community that peace is not
abstract. It is built in daily interactions, small choices, and shared
responsibility.
Re-Imagining New Communities advances this same conviction that
sustainable peace must begin at the community level and must be
child-centered and inclusive. Through the CLCP-Labs, the organization
equips children and educators not only with conflict resolution skills,
but with agency — the confidence to listen deeply, include others,
apologize courageously, celebrate differences, and lead constructive
dialogue.
This guide affirms a simple but powerful message- that children are
not only future peacebuilders- they are peacebuilders now.
Contributors
Abigael Wairimu
Juliet Aiyera
Grace Wendo
Attribution and Use
This publication may be used for educational and non-commercial
purposes, provided that Re-Imagining New Communities is
acknowledged as the source. For the facilitation guide, participant
workbook or collaboration, send a request to hello@rncommunities.org.