Peacebuilding: Healing the Wounds of War

When wars end, there are more than shattered homes and livelihoods to rebuild. Creating trust between people who fought each other is a difficult but necessary task. If children grow up in an atmosphere of resentment and recrimination, never seeing the "other side" as real human beings, violence and revenge can recur. If adults from opposing groups won't do business with each other, everyone suffers financially.

In regions plagued by longstanding hatred between groups, Catholic Relief Services works with children and teenagers to show them that their neighbors are real people who share the same dreams. Children from different ethnic groups make crafts, play games and go on field trips together; older teens collaborate on projects like neighborhood parks to make their towns better.

CRS' peacebuilding programs for adults often have an economic component, helping war-torn communities create new businesses, rehabilitate old ones, or improve infrastructure like water systems.

CRS helps restore broken relationships in many Middle Eastern and Balkan countries. Click through this photo gallery to see how CRS works toward the promise of peace on earth.

Laura Sheahen is CRS' regional information officer for Europe and the Middle East. She is based in Cairo.