Photo: Peacebuilding in action – a Peace Direct supported photography programme helping to build bridges in Sri Lanka.
If someone asked me to come to this area six months ago, I would feel anger and fear. But today, I am living, walking and taking photos in the middle of a village.
- Deborah
We have been overwhelmed by the generosity shown by Radio 4 listeners, who together have helped us raise £12,283 for local people building peace around the world – thank you! Your support has helped strengthen our worldwide network of local peacebuilders, and is making peace possible for thousands of people from all corners of the globe. From Peshawar in Pakistan to Mindanao in the Philippines: Peace Direct supports people living in warzones to build peace – one person at a time. We work directly with local peacebuilders and their communities, providing them with the skills and tools necessary to build better, more peaceful futures.
The positive impact of your gift is being felt around the world. One of the people who has already benefited from your support is Deborah, a young woman from Killinochchi, Northern Sri Lanka. As a Tamil woman, she never thought that she would be able to visit parts of her country where Sinhalese Buddhists live. That was before Peace Direct’s local partner organisation in Sri Lanka helped Deborah to connect with these communities through an innovative photography program, building bridges where previously there was only division, in her own words: "They [the Sinhalese Buddhists] are like us. We are all suffering, wounds are deep, we can be the bridge makers of the broken communities. Cameras and our photos can be the cement and bricks that build the bridge".
Deborah is just one of the people that your generous support has helped make peace possible for. Thank you for believing in a more peaceful future, and for helping to build it – one person at a time.
You can find out more about our charity .