this challenge can be overcome
by restructuring power differences
between donor bodies and
grassroots organizations through
putting check and balance
mechanisms that prioritize needs
of affected communities in place.
D: What is the impact of
peacemaker 360 to date? How
will you describe its projected
future impact in the coming
years?
and mainstream media outlets´
complicity with the current war
industrial complex, they do not
share positive stories by ordinary
men and women in countries
affected by conflicts who are
working towards peace in their
communities. Instead, these
media outlets invest in fueling a
propaganda machinery that further
incentivize violence and polarize
affected communities. My activist
instincts became immediately
preoccupied by this research
finding and I felt the need to be
involved. At that moment, I did not
know what to do and how to go
about it but I knew that I needed
to do something to contribute to
bridging this divide in social and
mainstream media. However small
my contribution would be, I was
resolved to act.
In February 2016, I founded
Peacemaker 360, a social media
campaign that profiles and shares
peace activists’ stories with three
specific goals: inspire, connect,
and amplify global peace activism
efforts. With over 10,000 followers
in almost two years, Peacemaker
10 Change Magazine
360 has connected thousands
of peace activists and continues
to bridge the gap among peace
professionals all around the world.
D: Peacemaking is a challenging
and complicated task. You have
conducted lots of interviews
with young activists in the
peacemaking field. Could you
share a couple of ways that
grassroots/young changemakers
can effectively tackle this
challenge?
C: Indeed peacemaking is a
challenging and complex endeavor.
It is even more complicated
when young changemakers take
up the challenge of promoting
peace. This is because despite
the passing of UNSCR 2250 in
2015, a UN framework recognizing
young people as peace actors,
there are still a lot of gaps in
terms of the implementation
of this framework in many
countries. Nevertheless, young
peacebuilders have remained
resilient and are working hard in
their own networks to creatively
find spaces of engagement with
decision makers in their respective
contexts. I am convinced that the
spirit of creativity and partnership
among young peacebuilders can
overcome challenges in the long
run.
C: Peacemaker 360 has been
operating for almost two years
so I think it is still early to talk
about the tangible impacts of
the campaign. However, there
are three visible results that the
campaign has achieved so far. One
is that it has connected thousands
of peace activists working on
various peace building projects
around the world. Another is that
it has amplified amazing efforts
of peace activists through various
social media platforms. Lastly,
it has become one of the most
engaging platforms where peace
activists are celebrated and where
a supportive peer community is
built for them.
In the long run, we aspire to
be an engine fostering strong
partnerships among peacebuilding
initiatives, the academia, donor
institutions, and the private and
public sectors through the power
of storytelling. To achieve this,
we are currently working on three
projects. You can learn about each
of them by following http://www.
peacemaker360.com/upcoming-
projects/
D: What is your plan to ensure
financial sustainability?
C: Peacemaker 360 relies on
individual donations to support its
operations at the moment. As we
quickly continue to expand, we
are now building partnerships with
like-minded organizations to both
join efforts in amplifying voices of
peace activists and put in place
sustainable mechanisms to run our
joint projects. The three current
projects of Peacemaker 360 are
also income generating and we
are hoping that they will boost our
financial capacity.
D: Who else is addressing the
problem in a similar way?
C: UNOY, Peace Direct, and Global
Narratives are just some actors
that Peacemaker 360 is having
conversations with for joint efforts.
We believe in partnership and are
always looking for like-minded
organizations and institutions that
believe in the power of storytelling
in moving global peacebuilding
efforts forward.
D: How do you compare the
effectiveness of peacebuilding
between a top-down approach
(led by government and
international organizations) and
a bottom-up approach (in the
community level)?
C: I think we need both
approaches in sustaining
peacebuilding efforts. What
often makes these two models
almost incompatible is the
power imbalance in terms
of who has the resources to
implement peacebuilding efforts.
Traditionally, there has been
in both the humanitarian and
the peacebuilding sector, a
dependency syndrome to funding
institutions. These institutions
impose their conditions that
may offset grassroots´ efforts in
responding to the real needs of
the people. I am convinced that
About the Author
Bolun Li is passionate about creating social impacts in the
grassroots level. He believes humility is the key to building
a successful career in international development, and would
love to spend most of the time in learning from the people.
He has worked with Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Maddox-
Jolie-Pitt Foundation in Cambodia, Rural Education Action
Program in China, and Network for Voluntary Services
in Kenya. He is an alumni of Duke University of USA in
global health and international development, and Tsinghua
University of China in Development Economics and
Mathematics.
Change Magazine 11